Suffolk Legislature considers reevaluation of red-light camera program

The Suffolk County Legislature’s presiding officer says he is pushing to reevaluate the red-light camera program.
Kevin McCaffrey says it will determine if some of the 100 cameras set up at intersections in Suffolk County are in the interest of public safety or simply for revenue.
He says legislators will give recommendations as to which intersections they will look into and if there is an increase or decrease in the amount of accidents there.
According to a Suffolk County report, rear-end collisions at red-light cameras have gone up by 45% since the program started in 2010. They say that's because drivers who are aware of cameras will slam on their brakes, which often leads to a collision.
Eric Alexander, director of Vision Long Island, says it “makes sense to take a second look at the program.”
“There are ways to create a physical design on the roadway which reduces speed instead of a punitive measure like the red-light cameras that disproportionately impact lower income folks and working folks,” he said.
Red light camera tickets are $115 and the program generates $39 million a year in revenue for Suffolk County.