Photo Courtesy of Google
The area near PS 207 in Howard Beach features plenty of vehicular traffic.
By Michael V. Cusenza
City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park) recently called on the City Department of Transportation to install speed cameras near PS 207 in Howard Beach.
In a letter to DOT Commissioner Polly Trottenberg, Ulrich urged the agency to expedite a study of the area and take the appropriate measures to include the Rockwood Park school on the list of protected zones.
“It has been proven these speed cameras deter drivers from accelerating down busy school streets and create a safer environment—not just for our children, but for the entire community,” Ulrich wrote. “The area near PS 207 in Howard Beach is particularly high-traffic. There are 725 students are enrolled at the school, many of whom walk to school or are met with the commotion of early morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.”
In September, Mayor Bill de Blasio signed Intro. 1089, which preserves and expands the use of speed cameras near schools where speeding is a consistent issue. The law was immediately enforced at 140 schools where speed cameras previously existed. The City will be expanding the use of speed cameras to an additional 150 schools, bringing the total number of protected schools to 290.
“In far too many instances, the City does not investigate hazardous conditions until it is too late,” Ulrich said. “It is imperative that we proactively take the steps needed to achieve the City’s Vision Zero goal before a tragedy occurs.”
On Tuesday, a DOT spokesperson told The Forum, “We thank Council Member Ulrich for supporting speed cameras. DOT is currently in process of procuring new cameras and using speed and crash data to prioritize locations for expansion.”
