While everyone (on the news that is) is frustrated for getting $80 tickets from one of these camera's I am in support of these camera's. First, you're speeding in a school zone, get over it you have no excuse. Second, for the ones that say these camera's aren't needed for safety because their hasn't been an accident in that area. I am for safety, a big part of safety is prevention, by forcing people to follow the school speed zone in fear of getting a ticket we will increase safety because we are reducing the amount of time for a vehicle to stop in case a child runs into the road. Also, by slowing your vehicle down it gives you more time to scan area (maybe see that child dart into the road). Driving a school bus in the past I have seen many children come into the road, from elementary children to high school kids. I've seen kids horsing around and get pushed (accidentally) into the roadway, I've also seen kids slip on ice or snow and fall into the roadway. It happens,I'm not here to convince you about school zone safety, you can google it, the statistics are out there.
The article above shows Nassau "earned" $24.4 million after paying the contracted firm their fees in (just over) three months of having these camera's. In a full year we're easily talking $80 to $100 million the county desperately needs! Are we going to give up this money because some bone heads don't like being punished for speeding in a school a zone?
My plan would be to put these camera's in properly marked school zones and give half the money to Nassau Inter County Express to make sure the system is one of the best in the tri state area!
Could you imagine what NICE could do with $40-$50 million!?! Forget about maintenance problems!
With just half the $24.4 million (12.2 Million) Nassau could pony up their share (20% $4-$5 million) of 100 new transit buses to replace buses that are ten years or newer, we wouldn't have to borrow buses from California to hope to get by for the next couple of years.
Nice would still have money left over to run a great system with just half of what has been earned.
Why am I thinking of this and not the LIBRU?
I am not going to create a petition or anything but if an organization like let's say the LIBRU wanted to do so I'd sign it....
The county votes tomorrow...
