New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. (I, D, WF-Sag Harbor) today endorsed a proposal made by Governor Andrew Cuomo that would permit Suffolk County to implement a demonstration project establishing speed cameras in school safety zones.

Under the Governor’s proposal, Suffolk County would be empowered to install a speed camera system in one school speed zone per school district at any one time. There are 67 school districts in Suffolk County. 21of the 67 school districts are in the 1st Assembly District. In selecting a school speed zone to install a speed camera, the County would consider criteria such as speed data, crash history, and roadway geometry.

The demonstration project would last for five (5) years. A school safety zone is an area not to exceed one thousand three hundred and twenty feet on a highway passing a school building or an entrance or exit of a school abutting a highway. The County shall be required to submit a report to the Governor and State Legislature on the results of the demonstration project.

The Governor’s proposal is similar to a recommendation made by the South Fork Highway Safety Roundtable created by Assemblyman Thiele and State Senator Ken LaValle. Thiele introduced the Roundtable’s recommendation in 2013 as A.6653. The South Fork Highway Safety Roundtable was initiated in October of 2012 in response to an increase in fatal accidents on the South Fork during the summer of 2012. The Roundtable's three workgroups, Engineering, Education and Enforcement, met in 2013 to discuss new plans, policies, and programs that could be instituted. In August 2013, the Roundtable made its Final Recommendations Report which outlined projects and initiatives to make South Fork roads safer. One recommendation was the establishment of a speed camera demonstration program to enforce maximum speed limits on major trouble spots on the South Fork to dissuade potential violators and make the road safer for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Thiele stated, “Based upon the recommendations of local law enforcement, emergency services personnel, and school professionals on the South Fork who served on the Highway Safety Roundtable, I introduced legislation that would have permitted up to 50 speed cameras in Suffolk County. The Governor’s proposal would permit up to 67, but only in school zones, similar to a demonstration project already implemented in New York City in 2013. This is a great first step to improve traffic safety and the safety of our children. The South Fork, in particular, can benefit from this demonstration program.”