It’s a nuisance for some, and a lifesaver for others. Either way, the city’s Department of Transportation says speed cameras are making a major impact.

Eleven years after then-Mayor Bill de Blasio started Vision Zero to eliminate traffic deaths across the five boroughs, the number of cameras has increased tenfold, while the number of tickets has plummeted. That’s according to a new report by the DOT. Some drivers find the increase in cameras frustrating.

"There's too much. Every four, five block is a camera,” said one taxi driver who’s worked in the city for 30 years.

When the program started in 2014, there were about 200 speed cameras in the city, and they issued an average of 130 tickets per day per camera. But as the number of cameras increased to more than 2,000 in 2023, the average number of daily tickets per camera fell to the single digits. Some drivers say they’ve noticed a difference.

"With GPS nowadays, they tell you there's a speed trap or speed camera and people will tend to be more cautious about it,” said another driver who uses his car several times a week.

According to the report, daily violations at locations with speed cameras have declined 94% since 2014. Locations where cameras were installed in 2022 have also seen 14% fewer injuries and fatalities compared to locations without cameras.

The report also found that 74% of drivers receive only one to two violations per year, and half of the violations are issued to out-of-city vehicles.

There are more than 2,000 speed cameras in about 750 school zones citywide. There are high concentrations of cameras in key areas like Lower Manhattan, Midtown, Williamsburg and Long Island City. They issue $50 fines to drivers who exceed the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour. 

The speed camera program is set to expire this year unless it is reauthorized by the state Legislature during the current legislative session.