By Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey
For years, I have publicly called into question the merit of the Suffolk County Red Light Camera Program, particularly due to a significant increase in accidents at red light camera intersections in my legislative district. Because of this, my name became synonymous with buzz words like “money grab” and “scam alley,” which I coined for the one mile stretch of Route 109 and Great East Neck Road in West Babylon that was home to five camera intersections.
Reports issued by Suffolk County found that these intersections showed an overall increase in both the total number of accidents and accidents with injury. In particular, the intersections of Montauk Highway and Great East Neck Road/Bergen Avenue in West Babylon as well as Route 109 and Great East Neck Road showed more than a 100% increase in total accidents and accidents with injuries. Both intersections are in the top-five of intersections that showed the most significant increase in accidents and accidents with injuries in the Program. It became clear to me and to many that safety on this stretch of roadway was not the priority, but revenue was.
It was the stance of the County that “The Suffolk County Red Light Camera Program is intended to reduce red light running, and by extension the occurrence of crashes.” Utilizing a Suffolk County Department of Public Works Review of the program, it was found that:
- Overall, there was a 59.6% increase in the total number of accidents from pre-enforcement to active enforcement.
- The total number of accidents during the active enforcement period exceeded the projected number of accidents based on Countywide growth rates.
- Countywide, the number of rear end and overtaking accidents was higher than projected.
- The total number of accidents that involved fatalities was unchanged.
The Red-Light Camera Program was sold to the public as a public safety program, but the “gotcha” profit-minded goals of the program provided an undue tax on the hard-working men and women of our County. It was my intention to eliminate the revenue-generating goals of the program, and today we say mission accomplished.
Now let me be clear, I am not opposed to a program, if it’s done right. A red-light camera program does have the ability to serve a legitimate public safety interest. But to do so, the Program must be free of traps like “scam alley,” where the saturation of cameras has resulted in higher accident and injury counts without public safety benefit.
Legislator Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) has represented the Fourteenth District in the Suffolk County Legislature since 2014, and as the Presiding Officer of the Legislature since 2021. The Fourteenth District includes Babylon village, Lindenhurst, and parts of Copiague, Gilgo-Oak Beach-Caprtee, North Babylon, North Lindenhurst, and West Babylon.
The Fourteenth District office is located at 125C South Wellwood Avenue in Lindenhurst and can be reached at 631-854-1100.
