JACKSON HEIGHTS — Speeding drivers have been the target of a ticket blitz by the 115th Precinct as they continue the city's Vision Zero push, records show.
Officers gave out 72 tickets for driving above the 25 m.p.h speed limit over the last 28 days, compared with only 3 tickets this time last year — a 2,300 percent jump.
The precinct's commanding officer, Capt. Brian Hennessy, said they've been increasing speed enforcement with the city's Vision Zero initiative, which was unveiled a year ago.
Drivers who failed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk also were penalized in the blitz.
Only 9 were handed out in February of last year, while 28 were given to drivers over the last 28 days.
Failure to yield is often cited in accidents where pedestrians are injured or killed.
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In total, 1,597 moving violations were given to drivers from Jan. 19 through Feb. 17 in the 115th Precinct, which is a decrease over this period last year when 1,701 tickets were handed out, Hennessy said.
The goal is to increase pedestrian safety, and the Department of Transportation unveiled its new safety push in high-risk neighborhoods in Queens on Feb. 17, with Jackson Heights included as one of the priority neighborhoods.
It includes more speed limit signs and traffic lights timed to let those on foot cross streets separately from cars.
The traffic light timing was proposed by Assemblyman Michael DenDekker, who blasted Vision Zero's effectiveness last week. The DOT did not immediately respond to an email clarifying the new program.
The 115th Precinct did hand out fewer summonses in certain categories.
For example, red light summonses were down — 43 handed out this year compared with 95 last year, a 55 percent decrease.
Improper turn tickets were also down, from 87 last year to 60 this year, a 31 percent decrease.
They also handed out 9 fewer tickets for cellphone use in cars, from 64 last year to 53 this year.
