Speed cameras come to East Meadow

Since Sept. 3, drivers making their way through the school speed zone on Carman Avenue, outside East Meadow High School, have been forced to slow down — or pay the price. Cameras now enforce the 30-mph speed limit during school hours, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and those who exceed the limit by more than 10 mph will be ticketed and fined $80.

The East Meadow School District was one of 20 Nassau County school districts that had speed cameras operating in front of one of their schools last week, according to county spokesman Brian Nevin, as part of the county’s School Safety Enforcement Program.

Of the 20 pairs of cameras — one on each side of the street — 17 are permanent, fixed cameras (like East Meadow’s), and three are mobile. The county implemented the program after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on June 25 permitting school speed zone cameras on Long Island.

Nevin estimated that the county would collect $17 million this year in fines for school-zone speeding violations. Last month, County Executive Ed Mangano canceled $2.4 million worth of tickets that were distributed over the summer, when the cameras were activated without notice.

Many residents agree that East Meadow High students will benefit from the cameras, which are just north of the school. Carman Avenue connects Hempstead Turnpike to Old County Road, and has busy intersections at Stewart Avenue and Salisbury Park Drive. It also has an entrance to the Nassau University Medical Center, and is a stone’s throw from the Nassau County Correctional Center.

“If you get them to slow down, it’s a success,” said Roxanne Rose, the community liaison for the district’s PTA Council. “I think that’s the most important part. Ideally, it’s for the kids and their safety.”