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DOT to Add Red Light Camera Warning Signs

The New York City Department of Transportation will begin a new pilot program on red light camera corridors, Commissioner Iris Weinshall announced today.

The DOT will install new signs around red light camera corridors forewarning motorists about upcoming red light cameras. This pilot program will begin today in the northeast Bronx, as signs stating "Red Light Camera Corridor" will be erected along the Pelham Parkway, Gunhill Road and Eastchester Avenue areas.

"New York City was the first municipality in the country to start a red light camera program," Commissioner Weinshall said. "The goal of this program is to increase safety. We want motorists to drive responsibly on our roadways. Perhaps these signs can remind motorists to be careful on all roadways at all times - not just where they believe a red light camera intersection may be."

The DOT will assess traffic and compliance as part of this pilot period, Commissioner Weinshall said.

The City has 50 active red light cameras and also deploys 200 "dummy" red light cameras. According to State Law, the City can use 50 active cameras at a time to record images. During Fiscal Year 2003, the City issued 308,100 red light camera violations. Each violation carries a $55 fine and no points deducted from a driver's license.

Commissioner Weinshall also noted that the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, and Oregon post similar signs along major roads leading to a red light camera intersection.

"We believe we must constantly assess and reassess our engineering initiatives," the Commissioner explained. "For example, we recently converted our red light cameras from conventional film to digital film. The results have been dramatic. Conventional film had produced a readability rate of about 50 percent - but our digital film now produces readability ratings of more than 65 percent. We are always interested in improving our programs."

When the DOT began the red light camera program in 1993, there were 536 total motor vehicle fatalities, including 284 pedestrians. In 1992, there were 592 motor vehicle-related fatalities, including 291 pedestrians. For the first nine months of this year, preliminary figures show 232 motor vehicle-related fatalities, including 102 pedestrians. While one cannot attribute these dramatic decreases in fatalities solely to the red light camera program, Commissioner Weinshall believes the decreases reflect the Department's fundamental commitment to improving safety. Over the past several years, DOT has implemented many engineering improvements in areas such as Times Square, Herald Square, Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, the Grand Concourse in the Bronx, Hylan Boulevard on Staten Island and Queens Boulevard in Queens.

The first such sign was erected Thursday morning, October 2 at Pelham Parkway and City Island Road.

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