BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Drivers listen up – the clock is ticking when it comes to those school zone speed cameras in the City of Buffalo.
Before this time next month, if you get caught speeding in one of those designated zones, a camera will capture photos of your vehicle and license plate.
There are 14 designated areas in the city where the school speed zone cameras have their eye on you.
School Speed Zone Cameras:
- 1087 Jefferson Ave (Stanley Makowski School)
- 1132 Jefferson Ave (Stanley Makowski School)
- 1177 Delaware Ave (Canisius High School)
- 1236 Delaware Ave (Canisius High School)
- 3125 Bailey Ave (Westminster Community Charter School)
- 3130 Bailey Ave (Westminster Community Charter School)
- 295 Suffolk St (Olmsted 156)
- 302 Suffolk St (Olmsted 156)
- 267 Porter Ave (D'Youville Porter Campus School)
- 1463 Elmwood Ave (McKinley High School)
- 311 Military Rd (West Hertel Academy)
- 522 Military Rd (Grabiarz School)
- 694 Kensington Ave (School 61)
- 255 S. Elmwood Ave (Hutch Tech High School)
Two of those cameras are located on each side of the street near Canisius High School on Delaware Avenue where there is a posted 15-mile an hour school speed zone.
Those cameras will capture your speed and if you’re going more than 26 miles an hour, he owner of the vehicle will find out about it by mail.
The speed zone camera flashes as a driver goes by at more than 26-miles an hour. That means this machine snapped a picture of the speeding vehicle and license plate.
“Please slow down. We want to make sure that our children are safe in the city of Buffalo,” Mayor Byron Brown declared.
The city is currently mailing only warnings during a 30-day grace period. But that's about to end and soon Mayor Brown says tickets will be issued.
“Our goal is to educate motorist we don't want to be in a position where we have to ticket people. We are really trying to get people to modify their behavior,” Brown explained.
Mayor Brown tells 7 Eyewitness News over the next few days, he will be releasing a report on what the cameras have revealed.
“Has been a little big alarming what you are seeing from that data?” asked Buckley. “I think when the public hears the data and sees how many people are actually speeding past schools zones in the city of Buffalo, there will be tremendous surprise,” responded Mayor Brown.
The owner of the vehicle will be fined $50, but there will be no points on your license.
Buffalo attorney Michael Kuzma specializes in speeding tickets He says there's not much recourse to fight a school speed zone camera ticket in court.
But here's what you could argue.
“I did not give the driver permission to drive my vehicle, secondly the owner could say hey my vehicle was reported stolen – the third thing they could do is argue that the camera was malfunctioning,” Kuzma remarked.
If you fail to pay the $50 ticket, the city can add another $25 fine.
But what happens when schools are closed?
“There will be periods when the cameras will be off – when school is not in session. We are looking at all of these concerns,” said Mayor Brown. The mayor insists the school speed zone cameras are all for the safety of children and is not about generating revenues for the city.
“These cameras are all about public safety, making sure our children going to and from school are safe. We have heard from hundreds and hundreds of people in neighborhoods all across the city who have asked for this kind of program to ensure the safety of our children,” Mayor Brown replied. But the Mayor would not commit to a specific date that will end the warning period. It could happen sometime in mid-February.
“All of these questions that are coming in and certainly, when we end the warning period we will clarify all of these questions for the public,” commented Mayor Brown.
