A NEW rule is coming to school zones and drivers will soon face hefty fines for going over the reduced speed limit – even just a little.
Drivers in Syracuse, New York, will get a 60-day grace period starting September 3, during which they’ll only receive warnings in the mail.
Syracuse, New York, is introducing a driving law change across its school zones[/caption]
Motorists will face hefty fines for going over the reduced speed limit – even just a little[/caption]
A 60-day grace period will be active from September 3 – meaning those caught speeding will only receive a warning in the mail[/caption]
However, according to Syracuse, after November 2, violators will face $50 fines for exceeding the school zone speed limit – which is set 10 mph lower than the standard limit.
Most school zones are posted at 20 mph, with some at 25 mph.
The new traffic enforcement program uses automated speed and red-light cameras to improve safety around school zones.
Tickets issued after the grace period must be paid or disputed within 40 days, while late payments will incur additional penalties.
After 90 days, tickets will go to collections.
Drivers who believe they were ticketed in error can dispute tickets online or in person, where a judge will review the case.
Officials hope the program will encourage drivers to slow down and prioritize the safety of children in school zones.
Darius Shahinfar, the city treasurer for neighboring Albany, said their city has issued more than 100,000 tickets to drivers after introducing a similar camera system in October.
In the first month of the Albany program, the city issued a staggering 20,500 tickets – having previously sent out some 33,000 warnings during a monthlong grace period.
Syracuse has also been increasing its efforts to enhance school transportation safety by penalizing drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses.
The dangerous violation puts children at risk and those caught passing a stopped school bus with flashing lights will be fined $250 for their first offense.
This ruling, which began in May, has already resulted in some 1,200 tickets being issued – which averages to about 14 tickets per day – bringing in over $175,000 in revenue.
This comes as New Yorkers have noticed that roughly 175 parking spots have been eliminated – after the NYC Department of Transportation quietly rolled out the new restrictions that turned free stretches into paid metered zones.
Several streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue now have meters, according to the New York Post.
In all, 16 blocks from West 73rd Street to West 86th Street were affected, stripping residents of a long-standing perk of free overnight and daytime parking.
Now, drivers are forced to pay $5 for the first hour and $8.25 for the second through the ParkNYC app, which caps parking at just two hours.
The new rules apply from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day except Sunday —a drastic change from the old system that allowed cars to sit for free except during street cleaning times.
For many, the crackdown is the final straw in what they describe as New York’s “war on cars.”
Elsewhere, commuters across New York are set for another costly blow just months after a much-maligned $9 fee hit drivers in a major US city.
Fare hikes for the subway, buses and commuter rail services are all coming in, along with bridge and tunnel tolls.
NEW YORK CONGESTION TOLL
NEW York has become the first major US city to introduce a form of congestion pricing:
- Starting January 5, 2025, most vehicles will have to pay a $9 congestion toll in parts of New York City.
- The affected area is everything south up to and including 60th Street in Manhattan, where Central Park starts.
- Only the FDR Drive, on the east side of the island, the West Side Highway, on the west side, and the Hugh L Carey Tunnel which connects them at the southern tip, will be excluded from congestion tolls, provided you don’t exit them into Manhattan at or below 60th Street.
- The idea is to reduce congestion in Manhattan, improve air quality, and fund the MTA.
- The toll affects the majority of cars, SUVs, small vans, and pickup trucks.
- Vehicles eligible for the toll must have an E-ZPass, which will charge them $9 once per day.
- That toll will go down to $2.25 during overnight hours.
- Peak traffic hours are between 5 am and 9 pm on weekdays, and between 9 am and 0 pm on weekends.
- Drivers without an E-ZPass will be mailed their bills and will have to pay more – $13.50 for peak hours and $3.30 overnight.
- Motorcyclists will pay half what cars pay – $4.50 – during peak.
- Buses and trucks, depending on their size, will pay more.
- Exceptions include certain emergency vehicles, school buses, the disabled who are unable to take public transport, and those who transport them.
- Low-income drivers who pay the toll 10 times a month can apply for a 50% discount on trips they take for the rest of the month.
- Passengers in taxis and for-hire vehicles will have a per-trip surcharge added to their fares, working out at 75 cents for people taking taxis, green cabs, and black cars, and $1.50 for Uber or Lyft passengers.
