By Eric W. Schoen
I was going to write this week about our crazy obsession with the weather. Then, Tuesday morning I got hit with a bombshell. A report by AAA (American Automobile Association) on my, no our favorite topic, Red Light Cameras. The information in the report, supplied to AAA by the Spano administration, not by me but yes the Spano administration is shocking:
Comparing 2017 to the year before the Red Light Cameras were put on City Streets:
Total Crashes have gone up a whopping 26%!
Side Impact Crashes have gone up 4%!
Rear end crashes have gone up 35%!
Lastly, injuries have gone up 24%
And they say these cameras are to make our streets safer? Who do our elected officials think they are kidding? Remember, this information comes out of Mayor Mike Spano’s administration, not some data that I concocted drinking Prosecco at the beach.
As the AAA points out, what is even more egregious is the fact that Yonkers has performed no engineering studies to find out what’s going on here. And Yonkers adds a $15 fine to the cost of its tickets for ‘administration’ fees.[1]
As the AAA says in its Study:
Red light camera violations are designed to be a deterrent to dangerous driving behaviors. AAA does not support additional fees designed purely to raise revenue, which can cause economic distress for low-income drivers and sow distrust in the motivations behind the automated enforcement programs
Are you surprised with the increases in total crashes, side impact crashes, and rear end crashes? And the scary number is that injuries have gone up 24%. As Robert Preston sang in the original music man, ‘Well, ya got trouble, my friend, right here.I say, trouble right here in River City! (Hugh Jackman plays the Robert Preston role in a revival of Music Man on Broadway this fall. Can’t wait!)
Change River City to Yonkers and that kinda sums up what we are talking about here. Add a little Bernie Sanders, and one can say ‘What the hell is going on around here?’
It bears repeating. The same company that lobbied to get the cameras for Yonkers is the same company who lobbied the state to allow municipalities to install Red Light Cameras. Haven’t we been listening to the term ‘Quid Pro Quo’ a lot lately on television?
Most Red Light Camera cities in New York State saw a drop in crashes and injuries. One of the reasons why is that they put up signs at the approach to Red Light Camera locations alerting motorists to their existence. How many times have I asked for that right here in this column. Mount Vernon has them. So does White Plains and New Rochelle as well as many of the other communities given jurisdiction to install Red Light Cameras. This is nothing complex. All they need to do is put up the dam signs, though I wish they would can the damn program!
Bottom line: Yonkers City Officials are endangering your life, your family, your friends and all those that pass by our fair city with this cockamamie Red Light Camera Program.
I reached out to the Mayor, the City Council President, the Majority and the Minority Leaders of the City Council as well as the legislators in Albany who got the legislation to install Red Light Cameras passed upon request from the Mayor and City Council, Senator Cousins and Senator but then Assemblywoman Mayer for comment. And sadly my response rate was not good.
Minority Leader Mike Breen: “Central Park Avenue and Arlington Street had been one of the most dangerous intersections within the County of Westchester prior to the installation of the red light cameras. Since the camera installation there have been no catastrophic accidents at this intersection that had previously resulted in fatalities. Unfortunately, there are still accidents at this location due to toll avoidance from the NYS Thruway. If Governor Cuomo heeded my many requests to remove that toll on the Thruway and put the drivers lives ahead of New York State’s finances then those could be drastically reduced also.”
Majority Leader Michael Sabatino: ‘I am just getting to read this . busy day “ I need to take a closer look at the report and the data. I would like to know what intersections the data is referring to, to better determine the effectiveness of the study. Were there multiple accident at a few of the same intersections? Were there accidents at every intersection where we have RLC. The report does not detail that information and I don’t have that info at hand. “
Senator Shelley Mayer: ‘It important that Yonkers and it’s traffic safety staff review the data and decide whether additional measures should be taken and understand why there have been increases in crash numbers.’
I sent it twice to the Mayor’s Office. The second time I received a response from his PR person: ‘This is first outreach to Mayor’s office.’
No response as of 10:16 a.m. Wednesday morning from the City Council President nor Senstor Stewart-Cousins. After Thanksgiving if I get a response I will share it with you.
If there was a 24% increase, god forbid in Fires in Yonkers, don’t you think people would be screaming what is going on here. Same goes for 24% increase in crimes. Injuries from accidents at Red Light Camera intersection are just as bad.
Of the $5.4 million in gross revenues generated by these cameras, in 2017, the latest year for which data was available for the AAA study, a whopping $1.7 million went to the vendor. Quid pro quo? Nice work if you can get it?
There must be a moratorium on the Yonkers Red Light Camera Program to see what’s going on here. Signs at the approach to intersections with the cameras have got to go up. The signs have the same affect as the cameras in stopping motorists from running red lights.
Speeding in school zone cameras? No problem with that. Speed cameras on Yonkers Roads? No problem with that. Cameras to fine those who pass school buses? No problem with that.
To the credit of the City of Yonkers, They included all the information required in its’ report. We thank the Spano administration for providing us with the real deal! Want to see the full report? Google 2019 AAA Red Light Camera Report.
I ask you, are Red Light Cameras that generate $3,7 million more important than the safety of our families and those who pass through our community?
Sadly friends, ‘This, Too is Yonkers.’
Reach Eric Schoen at thistooisyonkers@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericyonkers. Listen to Eric Schoen and Dan Murphy on the Westchester Rising Radio Show Thursday’s from 10-11 a.m. On WVOX 1460 AM, go to WVOX.com and click the arrow to listen to the live stream or download the WVOX app from the App Store free of charge.
