nassau county NY (Long Island) announces its 50 new red light cameras today

We like sticking it to the county because they have been sticking it to us for so long. It was really a slap in the face when they pulled the locations from the county website. That was more proof they didn't want people to know where the protected intersections are.

Looks like Rockville Centre is the only one that needs confirmation.

Just took a ride past the Rockville Centre location (I'm out some shooting this afternoon - with a camera...)

Like the Jericho location, they have the poles and cameras in place, but none of the wiring is connected. They have cameras on all four corners of the intersection. Interestingly, the cameras (just like the ones in Jericho) are a different style from what I've seen elsewhere in Nassau. I couldn't get a good enough look to see if there was a name or logo on them.

I'm not down this way as frequently as Jericho, but I'll take a look whenever I'm around to see when it goes live.

ETA: Came up Brush Hollow on the way home this afternoon. There was an ATS bucket truck at the curb next to the RLC camera on that corner. Still didn't look like the the wiring was connected, but it won't be long. I'll keep an eye on it.

Jericho and Rockville Centre bring the total to forty eight if my calculations are correct. The county has been authorized to install fifty so there are still two more to be installed OR in the process of being installed and not yet discovered.

I'll keep my eyes open...

In Merrick 11566
Merrick Ave & Merrick Rd

That was added to the file in the January 5 update.

I thought that the county took down all of the recently placed "photo enforced" signs anyway. At least they did in and around Oceanside.

It's almost to the point where the red light poi files don't pay to install since they go off at almost every street corner.

Cameras are there, no signage though. Don't know if they are active. Like posted elsewhere, the enclosures are a different style. Half-moon on one side of each enclosure.

After Magnano took over and the county removed the web page listing the intersections, the signs also disappeared. However, the intersections I checked were later replaced with a diamond shaped traffic light sign and a "Photo Enforced" sign below (Suffolk is using the same signs too). See the image at http://www.chesapeake.va.us/images/police/photosafe/photo-en.... I am heading out this morning to Manhasset and I will check one of the intersections there to see if the sign is still there (it only went up about three months ago!).

I haven't noticed any intersections where I got an RLC warning from my GPS that didn't have a sign - wonder if some of it was vandalism, and it took a while for the signs to be replaced? I can't find it now, but I remember reading when the program went into effect that the signs were required as part of the law authorizing the cameras.

No signs Searingtown Road intersection! Very strange indeed. The only other place I know there had been a sign locally to me was bear Barefoot Peddler in Greenvale. I will have to head over there later this week and see if it is still there. If not, then the county is removing them "for our safety". I would doubt vandalism because one would think the pole would be left behind.

The Jericho/Brush Hollow and Peninsula RLC locations have been added to this week's update. I'll be going through the Jericho intersection later today, I'll look for signs.

Just drove back and forth to Manhasset and the signs warning about intersections being camera enforced on Northern Boulevard are back. It looks like some general road sign maintenance was done and these new signs were added as part of the project.

So at least for now, my conspiracy theory that the county was trying to "stealth" these intersections is false. Of course I would still like to know why the intersections were removed from the county website.

I haven't noticed any replacement signs in the Oceanside/Island Park/East Rockaway area as of yet. Maybe they are putting them up at the new locations but not replacing the ones that were taken down at former locations. I'll keep my eyes peeled and note any changes!

Anyone in the Wantagh area that can check Sunrise and Wantagh Ave near TD Bank? "Rant" says there may be new inactive one there.

Also Underhill Blvd and Jericho Turnpike in Syosset. that intersection does not surprise me.

That's almost walking distance from me, I go through there almost daily. Haven't seen any indication of RLCs going in, but I'll certainly watch for them.

BTW, went through the Jericho/Brush Hollow intersection tonight, and warning signs were posted.

If these last two intersections are confirmed, that will bring the county to its currently authorized limit of fifty. Hopefully we will catch a break before the state legislature approves fifty more and we go scrambling to find those.

Curious as to why the warning signs disappeared only to reappear. Maybe the county got a good deal on a bunch of new signs

Went through the Jericho Turnpike/Underhill Blvd intersection this afternoon. Cameras are installed - they are the new type installed at Jericho/Brush Hollow - but are not yet connected. I've passed along a report to Miss POI, and will keep an eye out for activation. It's only about a mile from home, and I pass through the intersection almost every day.

I haven't confirmed it yet but Wantagh is supposedly the new design too. I have not yet seen one but Suffolk's (at least the two I have seen near the border) are different from Nassau's and maybe Nassau is now using that model.

Thanks for notifying Miss POI. I did not report either of these new ones as they were not confirmed by me. That just leaves Wantagh and we should have number fifty!

I had an appointment in the area, so I checked out the new location, Aardvark. There is a new RLC installation at Sunrise Highway and Wantagh Avenue. As with the Syosset location, the lights are installed (all four corners) but not yet operational.

I passed along a report to Miss POI, but probably won't be down that way for a couple of weeks to verify its operational status. And yes, they are the new design cameras as well.

We made it to fifty! At this point, the county has reached its limit and cannot install any more until new legislation, currently in the pipeline gets passed.

The question I wonder is, can the county continue installing cameras but not activate them since they have no authority to do so? I for one will keep looking but it would be nice to get a break from new ones popping up everywhere.

Thanks for confirming that last one! You win a certificate covered with pictures of red light cameras

I think they do that in NYC - I believe they have more cameras installed than permitted by law, however they only have 50 operational at any one time, with no way for the public to know which those are.

Thank you! It will look lovely next to the RLC photo of my car - I got caught in Manhattan one cold night in January 2009.

I noticed this morning that the RLC intersection in Lindenhurst has had additional signs added. Looks like Suffolk is also upgrading their signage.

Plainview also has some brand spanking new signs installed too and you can see fresh concrete work where they worked on one of the sign poles.

Penninsula and Lakeview has signage up. Also, Rockaway Blvd and Brookville Blvd just of JFK airport is installing 2 new RLCs, one in each direction. Previously, they had an older 3 head model (one for each lane) on the southeastward side only. They're now covering both directions on Rockaway. This location is already in the database, just an FYI.

Been through both intersections in the past couple of days - both are operational, with signage installed. Both are included in this week's RLC file update.

Thanks Aardvark, camerabob, and Moose135 for all your efforts to update the file!

dobs108

I saw that the signage was replaced on Long Beach Road, so I assume that all of the signs taken down were returned to their rightful place!

I am not reporting the location yet, as it is premature, but an intersection near my home which has relatively new traffic lights (< 10 years) is suddenly being rewired and some of the heavy cabling looks a lot like that used in the RLC intersections. This intersection was on the original list of proposed RLC intersections but was never implemented. It is not listed on the new phase II RLC list. I will keep an eye on it but I am wondering if the county is going forward with adding additional RLC's without legislative approval and leaving them off until they get approval. OR they will take NYC's approach and randomly activate only fifty at a time of a large collection.

The other possibility is that it may be tied in to nearby roadwork where new traffic lights are being installed. Possibly they are adding red light synchronization but I should have an idea what is going on in a few days. This new wiring went in rather quickly but there are still coils of wire hanging on the poles.

I happened to stumble across this article from the Manhasset Press dated December 31, 2010. It lists all fifty of the Nassau County Red Light cameras, that have since been confirmed here. In addition, it has some minor technical information on the cameras as to why they flash sometimes without anybody around.

With regards to the intersection in my posting above, it turns out it has been rewired to support new turn lane signals. I guess since they were going to have to add wiring for the two new lights, they decided to run a new wire to hang the existing lights and new lights from and put in new cabling to all the lights. No sign of an RLC going in.

Perhaps they decided to rough-in the wiring for a future Red Light Camera?

dobs108

Editorial in today's Newsday about how Nassau County has bungled the politics of the Red Light program. By tying the revenue to youth program funding, cutting deals to not put cameras in one community and generally bungling a power play they provided even more evidence that the program exists primarily for dollars, not safety. The link is at http://www.newsday.com/opinion/nassau-bungling-red-light-iss... though it may require a subscription. This is the text of the editorial:

I'm not a fan of our current County Executive, and moves like this don't help the cause.

Saw a posting over on GasBuddy.com about a web site covering Long Island Red Light Cameras. The URL is http://www.longislandredlightcameras.com/. I found Greenvale missing and there is a camera reported in East Meadow that apparently isn't. Overall it seems to be pretty close to what is reported here.

Thanks for the effort in keeping the file updated

Cross posting this from an message I posted on the Suffolk County thread:

According to Newsday, due to objections in the Assembly, it appears that Nassau and Suffolk will not each be getting the additional fifty cameras the requested in this legislative session. NYC is out of luck as well trying to go from 150 to 200. Good news for us as it means not having to scurry around trying to find all the new lights.

I apologize for the vague post, but I was driving on either Hempstead Tpke or Old Country Rd and saw RLCs that did not come up on my GPSr (can't remember which road or intersection). My RLC POI file was a week or two out of date. Have there been recent changes in Nassau/Suffolk?

Some of the newer traffic signals have cameras on them instead of the old ground loop systems. They appear on the traffic light masts. They could be confused with RLC,s but they can't get a license plate due to their location (directly above the intersection).

There have been no recent changes that I know of. The only way for either county to make a new installation would be to shut down an existing location. I don't think this would be possible budget-wise. The State Legislature has approved 50 for each county and they both have had 50 locations for some time.

dobs108

Definitely posted in the usual RLC spot, and not the light-top traffic control cameras.

BTW, where does the feed go for those light-top traffic cameras, and who monitors them?

The county could have more than 50 sets of RLC'd intersections, as long as only 50 are in operation at any given time (IIRC).

They detect traffic, and change the signals accordingly. They are for intersection traffic flow (I believe).

I know NYC has more than 50 cameras, with 50 in use at any one time, but I haven't heard anything about Nassau or Suffolk doing that at this time.

NYC had approval for more than 50; Nassau and Suffolk did not.

Thanks! I didn't remember hearing that NYC got authorization for more than 50 cameras, I thought it was just a "shell game" so you didn't know which cameras were in use at any one time. And I see Mayor Mike is looking to add even more.

I found this on the NYC DOT web site:

In today's Newsday it was announced that the new State budget contains approval for 100 new red light cameras in Nassau and Suffolk county.

Sorry - no link - it is a pay site.

dobs108

Actually it is not 100 more cameras but 50 more for a total of 100. It is interesting to note that as drivers have become observant of the rules, revenue has dropped which seems to be making the government angry so they need more traps. When these new cameras start to roll out, I hope a new thread can be started here instead of using this one as it is getting a bit long in the tooth!

This is the Newsday article:

That is right - 50 more in Nassau but also 50 more in Suffolk!

Aardvark - start a new thread and I will declare this thread closed! After the new thread is started I will insert a link to the new thread. Should we have one Nassau-Suffolk thread? Or maybe there are so many new cameras we need both a Nassau and Suffolk thread?

dobs108

There is already a separate Suffolk thread so perhaps that should start a new one too. Probably a lot easier than trying to keep track of 100 new RLC's in one thread covering both counties. It will probably be several weeks before there is any news on the implementation. The Nassau Legislature still has to vote. Then of course they have to identify the intersections and contract the work out. The last batch took something like two years to complete.

This thread is much too long. Please post for Nassau and Suffolk counties on the new thread -

http://www.poi-factory.com/node/36059

dobs108