Rallies continue to oppose school zone speed cameras

More than 30 people rallied in Garden City on Sunday for the second week in a row to oppose Nassau County's school-zone speed cameras, once again calling for an end to the controversial program.

"They have upset a huge amount of their constituency . . . enough is enough," said one protester, Marcy Feltman, 55, of Rockville Centre.

Many at the rally were members of a Facebook-organized group that, they said, has more than 3,700 members. The group held a rally last week in Mineola.

Sunday the protesters were on the sidewalk along Old Country Road near the Roosevelt Field mall. Several reiterated their position that they believe the program isn't about safety, but about raising money.

But county officials have argued safety is a top concern.

John Marks, the county's Traffic and Parking Violations Agency, said in a statement Sunday that the county has been home to the most dangerous roads in the region for pedestrians in five out of the six years since the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, a nonprofit, began its Most Dangerous Roads for Walking analysis in 2008.

Marks said that between 2010 and 2012, 88 pedestrians were killed along roadways countywide. In 2012, among the 37 killed on county streets, 14 were hit within a quarter mile of a school, he said. "School is open; motorists should slow down and drive more carefully as one death is one death too many," he said.

But county Legis. Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) said the program's rollout was "done very poorly and it left doubt in everyone's minds." She has called for the suspension of the program until proper signage and warnings are installed.

Most recently, county officials said they will install new signs with flashing lights in the 56 school zones eligible for speed cameras. Jacobs said this commitment is "good news . . . that they have finally admitted that's what always should have been done."

Sylvia Bedford, a West Babylon resident, said she came to the rally because Suffolk County is also planning to install cameras. The county is selecting a vendor to install and operate the cameras in each of its 69 school districts. The cameras could begin operating before the next school year, county officials said.

Bedford said she's against the cameras, but added: "If Suffolk can learn from Nassau's mistakes, it's better for us."