Mayor Bill de Blasio on Wednesday urged the state legislature to expand the city’s School Zone Speed Camera program slated to expire in Albany next month — and announced a redesign of Ninth Street in Park Slope, where two young children were killed after a driver accelerated through a red light in March.
“We are doing our part with a redesign of Ninth Street to reduce speeding and make it safer,” de Blasio said at a press conference held at the crash site. “Now we need Albany to do its part. We need school zone speed camera legislation extended and expanded immediately to prevent future tragedies on our streets. Speed cameras save lives.”
The redesign of Ninth Street, which would run from Prospect Park West to Third Avenue, includes expanded pedestrian and cyclist access, create nearly 1 mile of protected bike lanes and changing loading regulations to decrease double parking.
The Department of Transportation will release its proposal tonight at a community workshop, and it will then be presented to Community Board 6 next month. Installation will take place this summer after the community weighs in.
“At the same time, we also look forward to making our closing argument in Albany next month for school-zone speed cameras, which have been such a critical component in our Vision Zero efforts that have helped New York City buck national trends — with fatality declines for four straight years,” DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg said.
City officials are asking Albany to:
• approve the installation of speed cameras at 150 additional school zones, which would more than double the current amount.
• revise the definition of a school zone in order for the DOT to address speeding on nearby streets instead of just the street or streets where a school is located.
• expand the speed camera program until 2022.
