Lawmakers announce school zone speed camera program in Albany

Assemblymember Patricia Fahy (D – Albany) and Senator Neil Breslin (D – Bethlehem) announced the introduction Thursday of legislation to create a school speed zone camera program in Albany.

If passed, the program would initially run for five years, and use automated cameras to detect and ticket drivers who exceed the speed limit in designated school zones.

Speeding in school zones within the city of Albany is a recurring and continuous problem that puts students’ lives and those of their families at unnecessary risk.

The Albany Police Department and Capital Region Crime Analysis Center issued a report on the number of accidents and traffic tickets issued for speeding within and surrounding Albany school zones between 2018 and 2022.

This report found that there were 1,765 reported speeding incidents and 11,283 reported vehicular accidents in school zones in Albany, with 2,109 total injuries resulting from the accidents and 11 total deaths resulting from the accidents.

Of the 11 motor vehicle accidents resulting in a fatality, five involved a pedestrian and six involved a motor vehicle occupant, while three were operating a motorcycle.

Under the proposed legislation, Albany would be authorized to install cameras in a maximum of 20 separate school zones. They could operate during school hours, one hour before and after on after school.

The bill has not been passed yet.