There’s little margin for error when driving on the highway and that’s especially true when passing through a construction work zone.

For the past two years, the New York State Thruway Authority and our partners at the New York State Department of Transportation have been piloting a program to slow down motorists in work zones. It’s working — we’ve noticed a change in drivers’ behavior — and now the time has come to expand it so all motorists and workers can feel safer in a work zone.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2026 budget seeks to enhance the safety of transportation workers by making the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program a permanent tool for the Thruway and NYSDOT. Additionally, the state Bridge Authority and MTA Bridges and Tunnels would also be able to utilize the speed violation monitoring system in their active work zones. Both the Federal Highway Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration consider these camera systems to be proven........

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