Construction zones are something drivers see all the time on the New York State Thruway and other state roads.
The state Department of Transportation is looking to prevent speeding and reckless driving in those areas through an expansion of the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program.
That program was restricted to select construction zones on controlled access highways since 2023.
But now officials say due to a change in legislation in the most recent state budget, the automated cameras will be available in almost every DOT work zone, helping to protect more workers.
“Governor Kathy Hochul is laser focused on public safety and that means transportation safety,” State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said in a statement. “She has been a staunch advocate for Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program since signing it into law in 2021. We implemented the program and it has already made a significant difference in slowing drivers down by thirty percent in work zones with a speed camera, and I thank Governor Hochul for her determination to expand this worthy program which is enhancing safety for all New Yorkers. With the highway construction season in full swing, our maintenance crews and contractors are out there every day improving New York’s roads and bridges and it’s imperative that we do everything we can to keep them safe.”
“The Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program has proven effective at changing driver behavior, with motorists slowing down and average speeds in work zones decreasing,” New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G Hoare said in a statement. “That means safer conditions for the men and women who work every day to maintain and improve our transportation system, as well as for the motorists traveling through these areas.”
More information can be found on the state DOT’s website.