You are reading

NYPD to Step up Traffic Enforcement Near Schools This Week

NYPD Badge (Michael Dorgan, Queens Post)

Sept. 13, 2021 By Christian Murray

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that the NYPD will be stepping up its traffic enforcement near schools this week.

The announcement comes as public schools fully reopen for in-person classes today, the first time they are operating on a full-time, in-person basis since March 2020.

The increase in enforcement also comes at a time when the Mayor is calling on Albany to permit the city to use its speed cameras in school zones on a 24/7 basis—instead of just Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. through 10 p.m.

The mayor said that the NYPD will increase its traffic enforcement all autumn, although with a special push this week.

He said officers will ticket drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians and cyclists near schools. Additionally officers will look to target reckless drivers and those who speed in areas close to schools.

“New York City schools have the most rigorous COVID-19 safety protocols in the country, but our mission isn’t complete until all facilities are safe from traffic violence, too,” de Blasio said in a statement.

The NYPD said Friday that it is ready to step up enforcement.

“The NYPD is committed to making sure our roadways are safe for the return of all of our city’s students,” said NYPD Chief of Transportation Kim Royster. “This citywide enforcement initiative will be focused on holding drivers that speed — and drivers that fail to yield to pedestrians and cyclists — accountable.”

Speed camera (Photo courtesy of DOT)

The DOT released city data Thursday that revealed that one-third of fatal crashes last year occurred in school speed zones overnight or on weekends. The cameras, however, were not permitted to be on.

De Blasio is calling on Albany to allow the city to operate its 1,400 speed cameras in 750 school zones on a 24/7 basis—instead of just weekdays.

“Albany must allow us to operate our speed cameras overnight and hold dangerous drivers accountable, no matter when they break the law.”

Legislation has been introduced in both the state senate and assembly calling for 24/7 camera use in school zones. State lawmakers aim to pass the bills in their upcoming legislative session.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Southeast Queens leaders endorse Mark Levine for NYC comptroller

Apr. 17, 2025 By Athena Dawson

Cook cited Levine’s experience and problem-solving skills as a reason for her vote of confidence. “Mark is the clear choice to be our City’s next comptroller, and I am proud to back him today and every day. He has the experience and creative problem-solving skills to tackle some of our city’s most pressing issues while protecting New Yorkers from the dangers of Trump and the federal government,”  she shared in a statement. 

Op-ed: The power of representation in healthcare

Apr. 17, 2025 By Dr. Ifeanyi Oguagha

As physicians of color at Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center (JPAFHC), we regularly witness how representation in healthcare can save lives. Our patients – who, like us, are predominantly people of color – walk through our doors not only with medical concerns but also often carrying the weight of generations of inequities that have shaped their health outcomes.

Teen robbed of necklace at gunpoint while waiting for R train at Elmhurst subway: NYPD

Police from the 110th Precinct in Elmhurst and Transit District 20 are looking for a gunman who allegedly robbed a teenager at the Grand Avenue-Newtown subway station.

The 18-year-old victim was waiting for an R train at around 2 p.m. on Friday, April 10, when a stranger approached him, lifted his sweatshirt to show he had a firearm tucked into his waistband, and demanded the victim’s necklace. The teenager surrendered his necklace, and the armed robber fled the station onto Queens Boulevard at Broadway.