Syracuse City Council Committee Meeting on Automated Traffic Enforcement Program - September 17, 2025
Syracuse City Council Committee Meeting on Automated Traffic Enforcement Program
On September 17, 2025, the Syracuse City Council committee convened to discuss the implementation and operational details of the city's new automated traffic enforcement program, which includes bus stop arm cameras, red light cameras, and school speed zone cameras. The meeting featured presentations from city officials and representatives from Genoptic, the program's contractor, and covered data security, revenue sharing, violation processing, public concerns, and future enhancements.
Discussion Items
- Program Overview: Chief Operating Officer Connor and Jeff Nielsen of Genoptic introduced the three components: bus stop arm cameras (launched spring 2025), red light cameras and school speed zone cameras (launched at the start of the school year). All align with the city's Vision Zero goals.
- Revenue Sharing: For speed and red light programs, Genoptic receives 35% and the city 65%; for bus stop arm cameras, the split is 45% Genoptic and 55% city. Funds go to the city's general fund, not directly to the school district.
- Underground Infrastructure at Adam Street: Council discussed a revocable permission agreement passed on the previous Monday (September 15) allowing Genoptic to install underground conduits at Adam Street. The location required extra caution due to aging conduits. Genoptic is responsible for maintenance and uptime, with a 24-hour response target for issues.
- Data Security and Privacy: Jeff Nielsen confirmed that all data generated by the system is owned by the city, stored for up to 12 months for violations (non-violation data expunged immediately), and protected by anti-tamper seals and daily software checks. Radar units are calibrated every 10–12 months by an independent third party.
- Violation Processing: Incidents are reviewed twice by Genoptic (with quality checks) then by Syracuse Police Department (SPD). SPD rejection rate is typically 2%–7%. If approved, the violation notice is printed and mailed. All tickets are civil, carry no points on licenses, and do not affect insurance.
- Warning Period: A 60-day warning period (double the industry standard) is in effect to allow residents to adjust before fines begin.
- Fines and Enforcement Hours:
- Speed cameras: $50 fine, active on school days 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Red light cameras: $50 fine, active 24/7/365.
- Bus stop arm cameras: $250 first violation, $275 second, $300 third (within 18 months).
- Signage and Community Concerns: Council members raised issues about signage on side streets, hills (e.g., Calvin Street), and areas where drivers might circumvent main roads. Genoptic and DPW committed to reviewing problem locations after 21–30 days to adjust enforcement zones or add signage.
- School Bus Stop Arm Procedures: Dr. DeFlorio (Syracuse City School District) noted that bus driver training had been provided to ensure timely deployment of stop arms. Councilor Navi raised concerns about traffic backups when buses stop for extended periods.
- Charter Schools: The city prioritizes SCSD campuses but may include some charter schools within the allowed camera locations (34 red light, 36 speed zones). Additional locations would require legislative approval.
- Program Sunset: The enabling legislation is a demonstration program set to sunset in 2029, after which the city can seek renewal.
- Weather Days: On snow days, SPD will notify Genoptic to disable speed cameras; business rules are in place to prevent issuance of tickets.
- Future Collection Enhancements: Leah Whitmer (Municipal Violations Bureau) indicated a proposal is forthcoming to make automated enforcement fines boot-eligible and stack with parking tickets. Currently, 40 days to pay or contest; about 10% of bus arm tickets are contested.
Key Outcomes
- The committee received the detailed update with no formal votes taken.
- Genoptic will begin underground construction at Adam Street within the next week.
- The city and Genoptic will monitor warning period data to identify locations needing improved signage or adjusted enforcement zones.
- The council will consider the pending proposal to link automated enforcement fines to vehicle registration holds and boot eligibility.
Meeting Transcript
I am um part of the committee, but I'm here gathers who is the chair of the committee is running a few minutes late, so he will be taking on taking over once I once he gets here. So blessings to everyone here. We're gathered here together. That's not like church, huh? Well, we need that, right? So no, um we do, right, Hogan? Yeah, I absolutely Councillor Hogan, Counselor Navi, Counselor Jones Wowser, President, uh Hudson, uh myself Rashida Kwa, Council Paolo, Council Mantle, Counselor Padiagua, right? And we're here to talk about um several different things, right? Um Connor, you can go ahead and get it going. Sure thing. Good afternoon, Councillor Connor. I'll do in chief operating officer. Um I'm joined by my colleague here, Jeff Nielsen from Genoptic. Hi, welcome. Um thank you for the opportunity to be here, and I'm looking forward to meeting you. Um, there we go. No need to share. Thank you. Could you tell could you say that again? Your name again, I'm just Jeff Nielsen. Jeff, thanks, Jeff. And I'm with Genophic and responsible for the program management for Syracuse. Um just a bit of table setting before we we go in. Um so as uh we've had a number of conversations, we're all familiar with uh there are three components to our school zone traffic enforcement program. Uh in the spring, we launched our bus stop arms, which are attached to the school buses and pro uh document incidents where vehicles pass a bus when uh students are loading or unloading uh when the camera lights are flashing and the red stop arms out. Uh at the beginning of the school year on the first day of school, we launched the beginning phases of the next two components of that program, our red light uh uh enforcement program and our school speed zone camera program. Um all of these work together uh with the intention around uh in an alignment with our vision zero efforts uh to prevent uh traffic and safety violations and to increase the city's ability to enforce uh some of the most egregious examples of of speeding uh in school zones. Um my understanding is that today we have a number of uh topics or in the past couple of weeks. We've had some questions about uh data security and privacy and things like that. We're um have a number of folks in the audience today from various departments from API and digital services, from the law department, municipal violations bureau, SPD, school district. Goodness, quite a few people here um that can talk about uh a number of issues or any questions or concerns. Um happy to turn it back to the council for any any questions. I just want to um ask about I know that we're talking about uh underground at the stained school. Right. So we're talking about the how do I want to say it? I guess all of the utilities underground are adequated, so we're trying to actually bring those up to speed, and with Genop get, can't say their name, um we're looking to put together a pop, I don't want to say policy, but where they'll be responsible with us for the maintenance of the underground stuff. Right. So um I'll Jeff Jeff can speak to that in a little bit more detail, but um just as a uh recollection for everyone, um, on on Monday, the council did pass the revocable permission agreement, uh, which is a fairly standard uh permission that allows a third party to uh deploy or uh locate their equipment in the public right of way. Um and then some components of that agreement were around uh liability for if things during the construction period get damaged, other existing equipment that's in there. There's some electrical conduits for street lights and traffic signals and things like that underground there, um, that you know there would be uh responsible cost sharing um on the on the part of Genoptic to cover any damages. Um the reason why that location in particular was um being held until we had that revocable permission in hand uh was that the majority of our speed camera program uses overhead electrical powering. So the wires could drop down from from overhead, and it doesn't require getting underground and potentially damaging anything. Um in that downtown location, and in that location, um those conduits are the oldest uh conduits that the program will be utilizing is shared space, basically a tube underneath the roadway that you know contains a number of different pieces of equipment. Um and that was one that just because of the age of those conduits, um, sometimes when you're getting underground in construction, um, you know, things can be damaged or or crushed the conduit canon. So you want to make sure that we're being as as cautious as we can be in uh installing that infrastructure. Okay. So with that saying, once we install, so for those people who are not like tech savvy and understand all of this, right? Because this is a this is a lot, right? Um so once it's installed underground, right? Then how maintain maintaining this, where does that fall with the city, with genoptics, the fee, the pay, like what does that look like moving forward once they're gonna do that?
openpublica.com