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Read the press release here.

Speed Camera at Confusing Staten Island Junction to Be Taken Down

By Nicholas Rizzi | August 30, 2013 10:27am
 Politicians called on the DOT to remove the camera at traffic light near Platinum and Richmond avenues.
SBS Lane Traffic Cameras
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NEW SPRINGVILLE — A red-light camera accused of trapping motorists at a confusing Staten Island junction will be moved,  Councilman Vincent Ignizio said.

The cameras, set up to give tickets to drivers who stay in the dedicated Select Bus Service lanes on Richmond Avenue for too long, confused motorists who thought they were following the law near the Pergament Mall and Platinum Avenue intersections.

DOT rules say drivers can be in the bus lane if they're making the next right turn, but many thought the next turn was at Platinum Avenue — not the entrance to the Pergament Mall, Ignizio said.

While the DOT originally defended the placement of the camera, it was shut off after local politicians got DOT commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan involved, Ignizio said.

"I'm very appreciative to the DOT commissioner, who personally got involved in this matter," Ignizio said. "She's going to ensure that this is no longer an entrapment."

The DOT said they do not give out specific information about red-light camera placement, but said they are working to fix the issue.

"We are working with Council Member Ignizio and BP Molinaro to address concerns about camera enforcement while doing everything we can to ensure that Staten Island's buses continue to get the red-carpet service that their passengers deserve," Seth Solomonow, spokesman for the agency, said in a statement.

Last week, Ignizio, Councilman James Oddo and State Sen. Andrew Lanza rallied against the camera after numerous drivers complained to them about the $115 tickets they got after passing the light.

Ignizio said that the majority of the people successfully fought the tickets, and urged the rest to the do the same.

While the DOT did not say what would happen to the camera, Ignizio said it would be moved to a less confusing location.

"The camera is not operational currently and it will be moved to a location where you don't have this ambiguity," he said.