Continuing its pattern of taxing motorists, the Legislature approved the installation of 50 more cameras to catch motorists disobeying red lights. New York City already has 100 such cameras and they accounted for $26 million in fines between July 1, 2008 and March 31, 2009. The extra cameras should generated another $6 million in revenue for the City.
The New York Legislature is also expected to approve red light cameras for Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester and Suffolk Counties. As reported last month, red light cameras were already approved for Nassau County. Previously, New York City was the only place where such devices were installed.
By the way, if anyone suggests that red light cameras are installed primarily to enhance traffic safety, listen to what Assemblyman David Gantt, the Transportation Committee Chairman, who previously blocked bills expanding the use of red light camera had to say. “People were coming to me and saying ‘We really need [money]'”.