Assemblywoman Praises DOT Decision to Temporarily Suspend Pilot Program
Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) on Wednesday praised the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) decision to suspend red light camera monitoring in a majority of the towns participating in the statewide pilot program, two of which are in her legislative district.
The Bergen lawmaker also urged the state to go one step further and disband the practice altogether through bipartisan legislation she is sponsoring (A-2996).
“This was a smart move on the part of DOT, from both a safety and fairness perspective. What was initially intended to help promote safer roads, has potentially promoted the opposite.
“I’m sure there are many drivers who’ve felt pressured to speed up or slam on their brakes so they don’t get caught on camera going through a red light. If the yellow lights are improperly timed, these cameras present a double safety threat.
“This pilot program has proven invasive and potentially dangerous. It’s time to pass the bipartisan legislation I’ve sponsored to disband this program altogether.
“At the very least, DOT should conduct an analysis to determine whether accident rates have increased at any of these intersections since the program was implemented,” said Vainieri Huttle.