School zone speed cameras approved for the Electric City

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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Another Capital Region municipality is taking to the use of cameras to monitor speeding motorists in school zones. Local and state officials said the newly passed legislation will allow the City of Schenectady to install up to 20 school speed zone cameras.

Avalon, is a Schenectady first grader who was out walking with her father and told NEWS10’s Reporter James De La Fuente it was a smart idea, “Well, I think it’s a great choice.” To which her father Pete Day said, “Very nice. That’s very exciting for the neighborhood.”

New York Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara said he helped the city to get the legislation approved. “The goal, obviously, is to eliminate any type of accidents. And certainly, we don’t want any fatal accidents. These are really sensitive areas,” said Santabarbara.  

He said it is a pilot program that will run through December 31, 2030. “The whole idea is to collect data. Each year, the city will report to the legislature the data that they collect. We’ll be looking for trends they’ll be looking to see how effective they are.” The assemblyman went to explain, “Up to 70% of drivers that drive in school zone areas, they’re speeding. They exceed the speed limit.”

Mayor Gary McCarthy explained that the cameras will be distributed to areas where speeding is of the most concern, “Schools that are just by their placement in the streets that they’re on, you tend to have higher rates of noncompliance. There’s some that are more of what I’ll call a neighborhood setting, and you don’t get the people that are just making poor choices.”

There will be a grace period to adjust to the new cameras as well as the fees and fines, but the mayor said this is not just about money. “It’s also that education process. So, when you first put it in, you tend to get more revenue from it. But that we wanted to diminish over time, where you’re just getting people to comply with the speeding and traffic regulations around schools.” And if all goes well, the mayor said these new cameras will be installed by the end of the year, “We’re looking to have it up and operational right after the first of the year.”

“We support any measure that leads to increased safety for our students, staff, and families in and around our campuses.  Our understanding is that these are a function and responsibility of the city and local police department, not the school district.  We encourage you to direct questions regarding the speed camera program to the city of Schenectady,” stated Karen Corona, the District Director of Communication & Public Information for the Schenectady City School District.

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James De La Fuente

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