NJ commuters to NYC may soon be caught off guard by speed cameras

New Jersey is no stranger to cameras monitoring our every move on the roads. Think about the red light pilot program several years ago. Certainly not a popular idea.

The problem with red light cameras is that it causes drivers to panic the moment they see it change to yellow. Will I clear the intersection on time, or will the camera send me a summons in the mail?

Sometimes, slamming on the brakes is the gut reaction, which increases the odds of a rear end collision. In many ways, that kind of traffic enforcement makes things worse.

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And then there's the idea of measuring speed from one toll plaza to the next. If the driver got to the next toll plaza too quickly, it would automatically be assumed that they were speeding.

Now to be clear, New Jersey does not have cameras set up like that, but you get the point. Traffic cameras set up for red lights or for speed almost feel like "gotcha" moments.

Speaking of speed cameras, those commuting to New York City might have to prepare to deal with that while entering or exiting the city beginning in 2026. No, it's not a New Jersey move, but it is one that will affect daily commuters into New York from New Jersey.

Speed cameras at New York crossings

According to Pix 11, "Automated speed cameras will monitor construction areas on bridges and tunnels and ticket drivers going 10 mph above the speed limit." That is expected to take place come Spring of next year.

But before New Jersey drivers get into a fuss over this, let's take a look at the typical commute into New York City for just a moment. How often can you go the speed limit in the first place?

Even without construction, most of us are typically crawling as it is. And if we're moving, it's almost never as fast as the speed limit.

So that right there would indicate that, hopefully, there aren't many vehicles that would be summoned for this in the first place. If anything, those speeding in a work zone should get fined anyway since that poses a major safety risk to the workers trying to get the job done.

Opening a can of worms

The problem with implementing speed cameras is this. What will happen if the program proves successful and the city decides they want to expand it in areas other than construction zones? And would New Jersey take notice and try to implement such a system of their own?

Again, in an active construction zone, this might be a good idea. But it shouldn't go any further than that. Those speed cameras are more trouble than they're worth, and it's something New Jersey should steer clear of.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 weekend host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.