50 more red-light cameras in Nassau likely

The Nassau County Legislature's Rules Committee unanimously voted to double the county's red-light camera intersections to 100, hoping to help the cash-strapped county and maybe save lives.

Greg May, County Executive Edward Mangano's legislative liaison, did not have a list of where the next 50 light cameras would be placed. He promised, though, that before the item is taken up by the full legislature on Feb. 28, the members would have the full list of the most accident-prone intersections.

May noted that the county's request for more cameras was being pushed by members of the Long Island delegation to the state Senate and that Assemb. Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) has promised to introduce it in the state Assembly.

May said Nassau gained $18 million from the cameras in 2010 and could see an additional $17.3 million from 50 more cameras if approved by the state. He said the new request keeps the penalty at the current fee of $50, plus a $15 administration fee.

In addition to generating revenue for the county, a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found red-light cameras cut traffic fatalities in communities using them.

While it's too soon to tell whether the lights have saved lives on Long Island, the national study found that fatal crashes fell 24 percent in 14 large U.S. cities where cameras were installed from 1996 to 2004.

In other action, the Rules Committee again turned back a county request to add $250,000 to the $125,000 already paid to Manhattan lawyer David Lewis as a legal consultant. This followed the Democrats who again were critical of Lewis receiving the additional money.

"We are concerned that there were several recent tax and Commissioner of Labor warrants . . . [and] numerous significant judgments that have been filed against his [Lewis'] firm," Minority Leader Diane Yatauro (D-Glen Cove) later said. "We remain concerned that his negligent and unprofessional behavior casts doubt and suspicion over how his firm conducts its business."

Presiding Officer Peter J. Schmitt (R-Massapequa) tabled the item again.

In another action, both the Public Works and Rules committees sent the full legislature a county request to speed the capital improvement bonding of $36.7 million at its Cedar Creek and Bay Park sewage and waste water treatment facilities.