Traffic Traps

Below is a list of known traffic traps in New York City:

Manhattan

14th Street & 2nd Avenue:
Motorist traveling southbound on 2nd Avenue in the far left lane must turn left as he or she approaches14th Street. Expect to be pulled over if you proceed straight at this location.
23rd Street & 6th Avenue:
Police enforce improper turns and green arrow violations.
23rd Street & 9th Avenue:
Police enforce improper left turns from southbound 9th Avenue onto 23rd Street.
23rd Street & Madison Avenue:
Police enforce no turn signs and red light violations.
32nd Street & 7th Avenue:
Police enforce improper turns and improper picks up in or around Penn Station.
34th Street & 7th Avenue:
Motorists proceeding east or west on 34th Street may not turn onto southbound 7th Avenue at any time.
34th Street & 8th Avenue:
Police enforce improper turns, no turn signs and red light violations.
37th Street & 2nd Avenue:
Police enforce no right turns signs.
40th Street between 11th Avenue and the Lincoln Tunnel:
Police enforce cell phone, tinted window and other equipment violations (thanks to Josh E.)
42nd Street & 3rd Avenue:
Police enforce improper turns from either direction of 42nd Street and red lights violations.
42nd Street & 5th Avenue:
Motorists heading eastbound or westbound on 42nd Street are not permitted to make a turn off of 42nd Street onto 5th Avenue at any time. Green arrows and universal Òno turnÓ signs direct motorists to proceed straight. The green arrows and signs are regularly enforced.
42nd Street & 8th Avenue:
Police enforce no turn sign, improper turns and red lights from all directions.
Columbus Circle & 8th Avenue:
Police enforce signs, improper turns and red lights.
Delancey Street & the Bowery:
Police enforce improper turns made from Delancey Street onto Bowery.
Laight & Hudson Streets:
Police enforce green arrow and no turn sign coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel.
*Bus lanes on Northbound Madison Avenue – Midtown – officers enforce improper use.

Bronx

Fordham Road and Boston Road in the Bronx:
Left lane traffic must turn. If you go straight, expect to be pulled over (Thanks to Nedra).

Queens

Westbound Hillside Avenue at Queens Boulevard:
Blocking the box enforced (Thanks to Jeannette).
Hicks Street and Old Fulton Street:
Left hand turn lane must turn left from this one-way street to another one-way street. Unsuspecting motorists who fail to signal their left-hand turn are prone to be stopped and ticketed.
Liberty Avenue from the Van Wyck Expressway West 30 blocks:
Is a business district and U-turns are prohibited. This stretch is heavily enforced for motorists who try to swing around.
Southbound 162nd Street at Jamaica Avenue:
No left turn signs are strictly enforced at this T-intersection.
Westbound Archer Avenue at Northbound Parsons Blvd:
There are 5 no right turn signs which are regularly enforced.
Eastbound Jamaica Avenue at 212th Street:
Left lane must turn left, those going straight in the left lane are apt to be stopped and issued a ticket.
Eastbound Atlantic Avenue to Northbound Van Wyck Expressway Service Road:
Motorists turning from the middle lane are likely going to be issued a summons. Note: This location is one of the most popular ticket traps in Queens.
Northbound and Southbound on 150th Street at 130th Avenue:
The stop signs at this intersection are strictly enforced.

Sea Cliff, NY

Westbound on Sea Cliff Avenue and Du Bois, Carpenter and Main Street:
Stop signs periodically enforced with officers hiding behind bushes.
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Speed Traps

Below are areas of strict speed enforcement in New York City. Police in New York City use radar, laser, pacing techniques and/or visual estimates in determining whether to stop a motorist for speeding. Please note that the maximum speed in New York City on a highway is 50 mph, on a bridge is usually 40 mph and tunnels are 25 mph. If no speed limit sign is posted in the area, then the speed limit on a city street is 30 mph.

Manhattan

Outside the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, heading toward the FDR Drive underpass.
Riverside Drive at 135th Street side (the posted speed limit is only 30 mph).
FDR Drive: The police wait just south of the Brooklyn Bridge on the southbound side.
First Avenue Tunnel/Underpass from 41st Street to 49th Street: At the end of the tunnel, police with laser and radar guns in hand enforcing the 30 mile per hour limit.
FDR Service Road at 23rd Street: Northbound on the service road just before 23rd Street, the police actively conduct speed enforcement of the 40 mile per hour limit.
FDR North between the Battery Park Underpass and the Brooklyn Bridge, police watch for motorists exceeding the 40 mile per hour speed limit.
FDR Drive North of 96th Street.
West Side Highway, North of the Lincoln Tunnel.

Bronx

New England Thruway in Baychester, where it intersects with the Hutchinson River Parkway.
Throgs Neck Bridge Expressway
Hutchinson River Parkway in North Pelham, near the Westchester border (either direction).
Major Deegan Highway near the George Washington Bridge (either direction)

Brooklyn

Belt Parkway in Bay Ridge, westbound between 92nd and 65th streets.
Fountain Avenue in East New York (where drag racers attract cops.)
Southern end of Flatbush Avenue, from Avenue U to the Marine Parkway Bridge.
Prospect Expressway and northern end of Ocean Parkway where it intersects Church Avenue.
Neptune Avenue westbound between West 12th Street and Stillwell Avenue.
Laurel Hill Blvd between 48th and 58th street:
Police sit in the cemetery with a radar gun. (Thanks to Tim P.)

Queens

Grand Central Parkway, between the Long Island Expressway and Little Neck Parkway.
Long Island Expressway just past Little Neck Parkway (Westbound)
Rockaway Boulevard near 150th Street, North of JFK Airport (known drag racing area).
Francis Lewis Boulevard (known drag racing area)
Clearview Expressway (anywhere, anytime)
Jackie Robinson Parkway (anywhere)
Triboro Bridge: On the Queens-bound side, police sit around the curve and at the very end of the bridge waiting for vehicles exceeding the 40 mph limit.
164th Street and Underhill Avenue in Fresh Meadows catching Northbound motorists coming out of the bend [thanks to Henry] Whitestone Expressway Service Road (southbound) between 20th Ave. and Linden Place [thanks to Herbert] Westbound North Conduit Avenue, 3/10 of a mile west of Brookville Blvd (East of 225th Street)

Staten Island

Hyland Boulevard in Tottenville.
Entire length of the Staten Island Expressway.
Stretches of Victory Boulevard.