Red Light Camera Fees May Increase

Nassau County drivers may have further incentive to hit their brakes in those faint few seconds when traffic lights turn from yellow to red. In addition to the personal safety issues involved and potential points on their licenses, fees from violations issued from the county's red light camera system may be going up.

At Monday's meeting of the , Legislator David Denenberg (D – Merrick) said there have been talks that the fee per red light camera violation could increase from $50 to $75. The county may also increase the number of intersections with red light cameras from 50 to 100. But both the increased fine and additional locations require approval from the state.

The county will also tack on a "documentary fee," a motion entirely separate from the red light camera violation. Described as an administrative charge, a spokesperson for Peter Schmitt, the legislature's presiding officer, stated that due to new legislation, a new $15 administrative fee would be assessed per documentary violation.

For example, if a police officer were to pull over a motorist who did not have a license on him, it could be dismissed upon proof that he  has a license, although a $15 administration fee would still be charged. If that motorists also did not have registration, that violation would be considered a separate $15 fee, and bring the total to $30.

"The change is per violation," the spokesperson said.

Denenberg also mentioned, in the context of a discussion on the county's bonded debt, that the money produced by red light cameras was supposed to help pay for the county's social programs through a special fund. "To date, we're looking for where that fund was created; to date we don't have information that it was created," Denenberg said.

That fund was supposed to contain between $18 million to $22 million, and possibly as high as $38 million, according to Legislator Kevan Abrahams (D-Hempstead).

According to legislation that the legislature passed unanimously in 2009, "all funds collected" by the red light camera initiative would be used "solely to pay for expenses" of the red light cameras and to provide funding for contracts with the Youth Board, Department of Senior Affairs, Department of Veterans Services, Department of Mental Health, and Chemical Dependency and Developmental Disability Services.

Majority Leader Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) said Monday that the revenue from the red light cameras was "far below" projections, due to difficulties in getting the cameras up and running.

For more information on the county's red light program, click here. The locations of the current red light cameras are as follows:

Levittown

• Loring Road and N. Jerusalem Road
• Wantagh Avenue and Old Jerusalem Road

Bellmore

• Jerusalem Avenue and Newbridge Road
• Bellmore Avenue Newbridge Road
• Bellmore Avenue and Beltagh Avenue
• Bellmore Avenue and Jerusalem Avenue
• Jerusalem Avenue and Bellmore Road

Massapequa

• Carmans Road and Louden Street
• Broadway and Clark Boulevard

Albertson

• I.U. Willets Road and Willis Avenue
• I.U. Willets Road and Roslyn Road

Baldwin

• Atlantic Avenue and Grand Avenue
• Grand Avenue and Seaman Avenue
• Grand Avenue and Stanton Avenue
• Grand Avenue and DeMott Avenue

Bayville

• Bayville Avenue and Ludlam Avenue

Bethpage

• Central Avenue and Stewart Avenue
• Central Avenue and Broadway
• Stewart Avenue and Cherry Avenue

Carle Place

• Glen Cove Road and Old Country Road
• Glen Cove Road and Westbury Avenue

Cedarhurst

• Peninsula Boulevard and Rockaway Turnpike

East Garden City

• Charles Lindbergh Boulevard and Earle Ovington Boulevard
• Stewart Avenue and Merchants Concourse

East Meadow

• Merrick Avenue and Front Street
• East Meadow Avenue and Front Street

East Rockaway

• Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Avenue
• Atlantic Ave and Main Street

Elmont

• Elmont Road and Dutch Broadway
• Elmont Road and Linden Boulevard.

Franklin Square

• New Hyde Park Road and Tulip Avenue
• Franklin Avenue and Corona Avenue

Glen Head

• Glen Cove Road and Glen Head Road

Great Neck

• Middle Neck Road and GreatNeck Road
• Cutter Mill Road and Great Neck Road

Greenvale

• Glen Cove Road and Helen Street

Herricks

• Herricks Road and Shelter Rock Road

Hicksville/Plainview

• Old Country Road and South Oyster Bay Road
• Old Country Road and Levittown Parkway
• Old Country Road and Jerusalem Avenue
• Old Country Road and Division Avenue

Inwood/Lawrence

• Nassau Expressway and Bay Boulevard
• Nassau Expressway and Burnside Avenue
• Austin Boulevard and Empire Boulevard
• Nassau Expressway and Rockaway Turnpike

Lido Beach

• Lido Boulevard and Greenway Road
• Lido Boulevard and Loop Parkway

Merrick

• Merrick Road and Merrick Avenue

Mineola

• Mineola Boulevard/Franklin Avenue. and Old Country Road
• Roslyn Road and Old Country Road

Oceanside

• Long Beach Road and Mott Street
• Long Beach Road and Daly Boulevard

Syosset

• Jackson Avenue and Convent Road

Uniondale

• Uniondale Avenue and Front Street
• Uniondale Avenue and Nassau Road

Westbury

• Post Avenue/Merrick Avenue and Old Country Road
• Old Country Road and School Street

Woodmere

• Woodmere Boulevard and Peninsula Boulevard