Warren Co. DPW Super Kevin Hagos met with other stakeholders in Albany to push for increased safety protections for highway workers. — ALBANY | With New York State’s Move Over Law hitting its first anniversary, a group of stakeholders including NYSDOT, the NYS Thruway Authority and other public/industry partners, legislators, and organized labor, met with Gov. Hochul in Albany Thursday to highlight the need for increased protections for the highway workers who risk their lives keeping our roads safe.
The Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement (AWZSE) program is the result of legislation signed into law by Gov. Hochul in September 2021. The legislation authorized a 5-year pilot program run as a joint effort by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) to enhance the State’s ongoing efforts to slow motorists down in work zones to make New York’s highways safer. More than 420,000 Notices of Liability have been issued statewide, with close to 78,400 repeat offenders since the AWZSE program launched in May 2023. In locations where the cameras have been present more than once, fewer Notices of Liability are being issued, meaning that people are slowing down when cameras are present.
Reckless driving, excessive speeding, and even violent incidents against workers continue to put them in danger. Gov. Hochul is pushing for action on two critical initiatives:
- Making the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Pilot Program permanent
- Strengthening penalties for assaults and harassment against highway workers
“The men and women in labor who have dedicated themselves to improving our roads and bridges risk their lives every day to ensure the safety of all drivers,” Gov. Hochul said. “By permanently driving down speeds in work zones and enhancing penalties for assaults against them, I am working to strengthen our laws to ensure these dedicated workers can make it home safe themselves.”…