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The NYPD doesn't give a shit about traffic violations, and is very heavily on the side of drivers. This is a longstanding cultural thing, certainly affected by

by CPLX 8y ago

The NYPD doesn't give a shit about traffic violations, and is very heavily on the side of drivers. This is a longstanding cultural thing, certainly affected by the fact that nearly all NYPD officers themselves commute to work by car.

Spooky23 8y ago
It’s more about money. If you did the type of heavy traffic enforcement that you see on Long Island or in some upstate places, the overtime and adjudication would cost many millions of dollars. NYPD in my observation tends to focus mostly on keeping things moving.
- CPLX 8y ago
  That’s definitely not it. Writing traffic tickets would almost certainly be a revenue positive move.
  - Spooky23 8y ago
    Depends on who gets the money. Ticket revenue is split between fine and surcharge. 100% of the surcharge goes to the state. In NYC, the DMV (State) adjudicates traffic matters and presumably shares the revenue. Counties/boroughs probably get a piece of the action too. Meanwhile, NYC via NYPD gets the rage and vitriol from all of the traffic jams and general griping from the tickets. They also need to pay for overtime for testimony -- which NYPD prefers to use to flood public events with cops, etc.
    - bogomipz 8y ago
      >"Meanwhile, NYC via NYPD gets the rage and vitriol from all of the traffic jams and general griping from the tickets." You don't need officers to write tickets at all you just put up cameras to pick off the low hanging fruit - speeding, blocking the intersections and blocking the cross walk. The only reason that speeding cameras were taken down was b/c the state failed to reauthorize them in time. >"Depends on who gets the money." It's safe to say that NYC gets that money. Upwards of billion dollars of it anyway: >"The city collected $957 million in fines in fiscal year 2015, an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year and a 12 percent increase since 2012." "Red light camera revenue, which has been on the decline since 2012, jumped $1 million to $29 million in fiscal year 2015. Meanwhile, bus lane camera revenue increased to $17 million from $12 million the year before and speed camera violations increased to $31 million from $2 million" [1] [1] https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160324/civic-center/new-york-city-collects-record-19-billion-fines-fees/ https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160324/civic-center/new-y...
- bogomipz 8y ago
  >"If you did the type of heavy traffic enforcement that you see on Long Island or in some upstate places, the overtime and adjudication would cost many millions of dollars." Moving violations are huge cash cows though which is why upstate and Long Island rely so heavily on them. It would pay for itself many time overs on rush hours alone. It's almost surprising that a city that can't implement a congestion charge is leaving this money on the table.

by CPLX 8y ago

Spooky23 8y ago

It’s more about money. If you did the type of heavy traffic enforcement that you see on Long Island or in some upstate places, the overtime and adjudication would cost many millions of dollars. NYPD in my observation tends to focus mostly on keeping things moving.

CPLX 8y ago
That’s definitely not it. Writing traffic tickets would almost certainly be a revenue positive move.
- Spooky23 8y ago
  Depends on who gets the money. Ticket revenue is split between fine and surcharge. 100% of the surcharge goes to the state. In NYC, the DMV (State) adjudicates traffic matters and presumably shares the revenue. Counties/boroughs probably get a piece of the action too. Meanwhile, NYC via NYPD gets the rage and vitriol from all of the traffic jams and general griping from the tickets. They also need to pay for overtime for testimony -- which NYPD prefers to use to flood public events with cops, etc.
  - bogomipz 8y ago
    >"Meanwhile, NYC via NYPD gets the rage and vitriol from all of the traffic jams and general griping from the tickets." You don't need officers to write tickets at all you just put up cameras to pick off the low hanging fruit - speeding, blocking the intersections and blocking the cross walk. The only reason that speeding cameras were taken down was b/c the state failed to reauthorize them in time. >"Depends on who gets the money." It's safe to say that NYC gets that money. Upwards of billion dollars of it anyway: >"The city collected $957 million in fines in fiscal year 2015, an increase of 7.5 percent from the previous year and a 12 percent increase since 2012." "Red light camera revenue, which has been on the decline since 2012, jumped $1 million to $29 million in fiscal year 2015. Meanwhile, bus lane camera revenue increased to $17 million from $12 million the year before and speed camera violations increased to $31 million from $2 million" [1] [1] https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160324/civic-center/new-york-city-collects-record-19-billion-fines-fees/ https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160324/civic-center/new-y...
bogomipz 8y ago
>"If you did the type of heavy traffic enforcement that you see on Long Island or in some upstate places, the overtime and adjudication would cost many millions of dollars." Moving violations are huge cash cows though which is why upstate and Long Island rely so heavily on them. It would pay for itself many time overs on rush hours alone. It's almost surprising that a city that can't implement a congestion charge is leaving this money on the table.