Buffalo Man Files Complaint Against Automated Speed Ticketing

Most Western New Yorkers would agree by general consensus that there are truly only two seasons in the region: winter and construction season. When you consider that it seems like we only have a few months of nice weather, it makes sense that construction and road crews would be hard at work during the spring and summer to get projects done.

So, while the warm weather is here, we are often faced with constant building and repair projects.

However, this year is working a little differently than in years past as New York State has been ramping up its efforts to reduce speeding through construction zones in the Empire State. In 2021, a new law took effect that allowed the New York State Thruway Authority and New York State Department of Transportation to begin automatic enforcement of construction zone speed limits by electronically monitoring speed and issuing tickets.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of tickets have been issued across the state; by the looks of it, that number will only continue to increase. According to data from the state DOT, more than 5,000 crashes at construction zones have occurred since 2020.

I think most people would agree that reducing traffic crashes at construction zones are a good thing, however some Western New Yorkers think it has gone too far. One, in particular, has even filed a Public Integrity Complaint against NYSDOT claiming unfair treatment and is seeking to have every fine issued at one zone in Buffalo refunded.

Currently, road and bridge repair work is occurring on the Main Street overpass in Buffalo, where Route 198 runs underneath. Daily Route 198 from Parkside to the Kensington Expressway has road crews on site doing work, and the automatic speed camera is in effect. The speed limit on this section is normally 30 mph. Now, the state usually reduces the speed limit by 15 mph in construction zones, but in this case, they have left it set at 30 mph.

This, of course, means anyone who gets a speeding ticket at this spot is not only breaking the construction zone speed limit, but the normal speed limit.

As someone who lives in North Buffalo and drives this stretch of road daily, I see these signs every morning when the road crews are out. It doesn't seem that difficult to just follow the speed limit.