New Work Zone Speed Cameras in New York

they appear to be ineffective. When I go through one, I drop down to the speed limit. This sounds like what's necessary in NYS.

I'm the only person that does so and get passed even by busses and class 8's. They know that they can safely go 10 mph over.

imho the intent is to give people a break, and give workers the brakes. So let's prove to people we want you to slow down, not ding your wallet.

But human nature being what it is, people are about 10 over as the median speed.

It's like telling relatives the first communion is at 11:30 AM, because it is. Do you tell people that are habitually late, it's 9:30 AM, so they get there on time? That's PA. Problem is, ineffective in getting people to slow down to a safe speed. As a human I'd prefer a buffer. Just saying in practice, it doesn't work.

The speed camera car is a white Jeep crossover SUV that has a roof rack with two yellow flashing lights. The speed camera is mounted on the roof rack. The camera is so small it cannot be seen while approaching, but the roof rack is obvious. The car has NY passenger plates, not official plates.

The Long Island Newsday article at https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/speed-cam... says "Speed camera tickets triggered by driving 10 mph over speed limit under state law." Unfortunately the URL I provided is behind a paywall so you can't read the full content.

This seems to be the only source with the "10 over" content so the article may very well be inaccurate.

That is what it says also in the print version of Newsday today 4/20/23. The DOT did not mention this at their first news conference but corrected it in the second.

This is the first time the NY State DOT is running enforcement cameras. Previous to this, all cameras in the state were run by local governments.

I have edited my post at the top of this page. I have access to Newsday.com with my print subscription.

I'm not on the Island much these days, but I've been following the story - and some of the crazy ideas people have been throwing out about these cameras. Good to see some accurate info!

To an office in Bethel, PA, so I decided why don't I ask the GM about it.

He said, 1. Everybody "knows" where the Jeep is, despite the fact that it is moved multiple times a day.

2. They think the fine is so small there's really no need to worry about it (CA was one state that this wasn't true, $540?).

So I thought, it is what it is. For some reason, I don't feel as willy nilly as they do.

What I'm trying to emphasize is the median speed is about 10 over the limit despite photo enforcement truly being in place, which to me, isn't a safe speed in a work zone. Maybe people feel it's not really a work zone so no need to slow down. Just like when people blow school bus reds. I doubt they're looking to kill anyone, there's no harm if they don't stop. Can we as adults really buy the "it wasn't red" or "it's a money grab the lights changed before I got there out of nowhere" routines?

Last time I looked into it, it seemed that DC had no buffer at all, not sure. What I have observed in MD is again, speeding in a photo enforced zone, because the camera is fixed and everyone local knows exactly where it is.

Will we have the specific POI for that? Wish someone can update it!!!

Visit NY recently and nightmare to see many traps like that.

The fine maybe more after all, with some services and so.

Respect to have it but somehow if in the night drive, and some people push you back then you got the trap speed without notice the trap there, that's so funny to have it.

Good luck to all!

I find Waze does a pretty good job of warning drivers of these speed cameras. Usually, police vehicles move around frequently but since these cameras are stationary for some time, there are usually multiple reports.

Is this....I'm a city, here are my 32,000 cameras, and a list of where they are.

Having a device warn us is akin to saying do whatever you want, but change your behavior when you get an alert.

But from a practical perspective, I think we're in total agreement, I don't mind being alerted.

My wife has said for 15 years, why do you need that gps to tell you where there's a red light camera, don't you stop at red lights?

At any rate, I feel we dance around the subject of human nature. Why do people not wipe down machines at the gym when done, or not hold the door for someone behind them? These very same people drive cars.

Anyway, states are not innocent, I decided to look at my state and there's way more info than 2 years ago. Take this point. Name of the game is to look out for PHOTO ENFORCED signs, forget the rest. Also, for those who are not clear on what's criminal, and what's civil, it might be a good time to brush up. There are many Law and Order marathons on Sundance.

The “Active Work Zone When Flashing” sign with a flashing white light is not affiliated with the AWZSE program and is not required for AWZSE enforcement to occur. The AWZSE program requires two “Active Speed Limit Photo Enforced” advance warning signs notifying motorists that AWZSE systems are present and active. The “Active Work Zone When Flashing” sign with a flashing white light indicates an active work zone as required for criminal violations, which are issued when a police officer stops you for a violation.

IMO, the SUV’s with camera are likely a moving target thus it likely impractical to have a POI.

Also, my nephew is a Nassau County policeman and he tells me they have been ordered to crack down on anything that makes a license plate difficult to read, “smoked” protective frames in particular.

Haven't recently been through any MD work zones with a speed camera, but a while back they also used a white SUV with a camera mounted inside that changed locations. The identifying clue for a potential camera location was a porta potty before the start of a work zone. Seems that the camera vehicle was manned and thus needed "facilities" during a long shift, plus the porta potty was a good place to conceal a vehicle. A list of possible locations can also be found on the maryland.gov website (https://safezones.maryland.gov/locations.html).
Mark

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Obscured plates have popped up all over Nassau and Suffolk County and New York City beginning 9 years ago when red light cameras were first installed.

There is a privileged class of drivers who have obscured plates and the police have done nothing about it. My estimate is about 10% of plates are obscured.

Criminals and terrorists will blend right in with the camera scofflaws.

These plates work just as well for electronic tolling at all the bridges and the Jersey Turnpike and New York Thruway.

My favorites are the "smoked" plastic cover which is opaque black, as well as removing all the paint on the plate leaving a silver colored surface.

The most stealthy one is the bike carrier which blocks the camera from viewing the plate. 99 times out of 100 there is no bike on the carrier.

Have I forgotten the fake Texas temporary plate? There are more of these in New York than Texas!

https://youtu.be/BE-RKmQDjow

Always been allowed in Phila for the 24 years that I've lived here. I can't figure it out. So are illegal tints. It's obvious. Why? Because no degree of tint is allowed other than if from factory lol

So if the windshield and fronts and sides and rear is blacked out on a sedan, it's illegal. It's also a terrific way to combat dash cams. At the same time, I find it makes it difficult to communicate, like when two cars arrive at the same time at a 4 way, or, one can also tell the other car arrived late but is aggressive, so let them go.

In NYC they've caught license plate flipping cars. That's cool in a way but hardly worth it.

PA also has color photocopied plates but the numbers are off in proportion. Again I bet the imageRUNNERs have a chip that won't copy them, or print from software, so the proportions need to be altered...

And the temporary plate? I bought a used car in Bedford Hills, NY.

NYS is strict in that car must be insured by VIN for the car to drive off the lot. Not so in PA. PA they just slap the plate on--we bought a car Labor Day weekend 2011. I asked the dealer so I have to get insurance on Tue.? He said no, you have 30 days. Called the agent on Tue. he concurred.

On the Bedford Hills car, they taped a paper tag on the wrong side in the back--in transit permit. I drove over bridges and through tunnels with E-ZPass, but if I didn't have a tag? There's no plate on the car only the dealer name, which I removed in Greenwich, CT. Sure the tolls woulda been free.

I asked a friend who was a NJSP why can I drive around willy nilly with no tag and a piece of paper that could be fake? He said it wasn't fake, was it? So why would I pull you over?

Don't get me started with the trailer hitch bike racks, on 24/7/365, with no bikes! lol

Since these are mobile units, the locations really can't go into a POI file. Am I correct in assuming they are using radar to track speed? If so, I imagine a typical radar detector should give you warning that they are in use. Watching your speed is always best, but just like the RLC file on your GPS, a little extra warning doesn't hurt.

Since the location of the camera changes every day, we cannot add the POIs to the Speed Camera file.

The state DOT website says radar is used for speed:

https://www.ny.gov/work-zone-safety-awareness/automated-work...

This says, in part:

"The system uses radar to identify any vehicle traveling equal to or faster than the posted speed limit, triggering the system to capture photos and the speed of the passing vehicle."

The DOT has mentioned at a press conference that 10 mph over the speed limit is required to generate a ticket.

isn't a "Photo Enforced" sign, or two, sufficient warning?

From observation, people ignore them in MD/DC and PA. I don't know about NY.

In PA, you can also keep your eyes peeled for a cheesy Jeep--nobody actually buys that model of Cherokee with hard-earned money, it's a very unpopular model, so it seems the signs and the jeeps are more info than an alert provides. The Garmin paid file that I got in 2019 is very annoying it blankets a really long stretch as speed enforcement. Aren't we relying too much on technology to get us to do what we're supposed to do anyway, i.e. slow down in a work zone? my .02

For example, what if there were alerts to stop when a school bus has red flashing lights, imho that doesn't help, we should be alert and looking at the red flashing lights and stop. Not stopping when our GPS unit alerts us.

p.s. I've never heard of a work zone suddenly appearing with a crew working, out of nowhere

My brother was cited this week on the NJ Garden State Parkway because his empty bike rack blocked his rear plate. He had just dropped his bike off for service and was returning home.

The trooper who pulled him over said there was a crackdown on this because drivers were using empty bike racks to foil the E-Z pass plate readers.

There was a news report on this happening in NY too. If a bike rack can foil the sophisticated E-Zpass camera system, I suppose it would work on these speed cameras as well.

Laws against this have been on the books for years but largely ignored for recreational bike racks. I guess those days are coming to an end due to a few deadbeats trying to play the system.

E-Z Pass communicates with a radio transponder on the windshield that contains a chip. When going through a toll, if there is no transponder, a camera records the rear plate and a bill is mailed to the car owner. If he doesn't pay, his registration cannot be renewed. States have reciprocal agreements.

To beat the toll, remove the transponder and install the bike rack. I am happy the State Troopers are enforcing this!

A trailer hitch bike rack and I want it off as much as possible. But this goes to being theoretical I guess.

At my gym, 1/3 ellipticals are in poor repair, they bang and knock when used. It's astounding how many people just ignore the sound and use them. Holy mechanical sympathy.

Well, guess what...a bike rack or anything that goes into the hitch receiver, makes noise and vibrates. I can't stand it myself. Imagine people driving around 24/7/365 with them, all to simply obscure their plates--the noise, the weight, and just the fact their vehicles look ugly imho with them on. my .02 ymmv

up this topic at work.

To most people, it's a non-issue.

Basically people were saying they can go over 10 mph or so and not get a ticket (they don't care to research the topic ie not worth their time).

If the above is not true, then they get a ticket and pay it. They're not going to obsess over this matter. They said 10 over so if sign says 45 then no longer 80 and no longer 65, but 55.

Nobody worries nor slows down, so, as a transportation authority, the means of getting compliance are very limited.

When this conversation ended, the topic went back to Pokemon trading cards. You think I'm joking. Grown men, none of which younger than 35, some about 50, talking about these cards. I do find it weird but plan to read up so I'm not left out of the conversation. My buddy actually has a term pajama boy for men today? I don't even get that, I'm old and out of everything! lol