STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With many Staten Islanders confined to their homes in recent months due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the roads of Staten Island had never felt emptier.
Typically busy streets like Hylan Boulevard and Richmond Avenue felt like ghost towns at times, with far fewer motorists making their way around the borough.
But that didnt stop the remaining Staten Island drivers from racking up tens of thousands of school zone speed camera violations.
Even during the heights of the pandemic, when New York City still had not even enter Phase 1 of reopening, more than 1,600 tickets were being issued each day.
And unsurprisingly, as the city began to open back up, with more and more residents returning to work, the daily violation rate increased on Staten Island to over 2,250 violations.
Heres a look at how the number of Staten Island school zone speed camera violations have progressed throughout New York Citys reopening.
PRIOR TO PHASE 1
With each phase of reopening lasting two weeks, the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com analyzed ticketing data from the two weeks prior to Phase 1, as well as the two weeks included in each phase.
School zone speed cameras are only operational during weekdays, meaning each phase consisted of 10 ticketing days. However, the two weeks prior to Phase 1 only included nine ticketing days due to the cameras being turned off on Memorial Day.
In the two weeks leading up to Phase 1, from May 25 to Jun. 7, the city issued 14,406 speed camera violations on Staten Island, totaling $720,300 in revenue at $50 per ticket.
Over the nine ticketing days, this means an average of 1,600.7 speed camera violations were issued per day, 66.7 per hour or 1.1 per minute, equaling roughly $80,035 per day, $3,335 per hour or $56 per minute in revenue.
PHASE 1
During Phase 1, which spanned from Jun. 8 to Jun. 21, the city issued 16,789 speed camera violations on Staten Island, totaling $839,450 in revenue.
Over the 10 ticketing days, this means an average of 1,678.9 speed camera violations were issued per day, 70 per hour or 1.2 per minute, equaling roughly $83,945 per day, $3,498 per hour or $58 per minute in revenue.
PHASE 2
During Phase 2, which stretched from Jun. 22 to Jul. 5, the city issued 15,845 speed camera violations on Staten Island, totaling $792,250 in revenue.
Over 10 ticketing days, this means an average of 1584.5 speed camera violations were issued per day, 66 per hour or 1.1 per minute, equaling roughly $79,225 per day, $3,301 per hour or $55 per minute in revenue.
PHASE 3
During Phase 3, which began on Jul. 6 and ended Jul. 19, the city issued 22,514 speed camera violations on Staten Island, totaling $1,125,700 in revenue.
Over 10 ticketing days, this means an average of 2,251.2 speed camera violations were issued per day, 93.8 per hour or 1.6 per minute, equaling roughly $112,570 per day, $4,690 per hour or $78 per minute in revenue.
SHOULD THEY BE ON ANYWAY?
With schools closed since March as a result of the ongoing pandemic, some have argued that the speed cameras, which are intended to bolster safety within school zones, should be turned off all together.
In late March, Councilman Steven Matteo (R-Mid-Island) penned a letter to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg requesting that the citys speed cameras be shut down while school is out of session.
With schools closed for the foreseeable future, speed cameras should be turned off. Failure to do so confirms the suspicions of so many New Yorkers that the speed camera program exists for the sole purpose of revenue generation, rather than public safety, Matteo wrote.
The installation of new cameras should also be halted during this time of public emergency, he added.
The councilman argued that it is unjust to issue violations at a time when drivers may be rushing to address the health of loved ones or stocking up on necessary supplies.
Issuing summonses to New Yorkers for going 36 miles per hour on empty and deserted roads when school is not in session, some of whom are trying to care for elderly family members or out purchasing basic survival necessities for their families, is simply beyond the pale, he wrote.
In response to the letter, the DOT claimed that the cameras are required to operate by law, noting that while classes are canceled, some schools remain open to serve meals.
The law states the cameras must be on year-round from 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., Monday - Friday. While schools have been shut down due to COVID-19, they are still serving meals to children, and kids may still be in the street, according to a DOT spokesperson.
The purpose of the speed camera program is to deter speeding. Even with less cars on the road and school currently not in session, drivers should to continue to follow the speed limit, the spokesperson continued.
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Speed cameras: Did reopening affect the number of violations on Staten Island? - SILive.com