I Got Mailed A Speeding Ticket from NY – A Wake-Up Call for MA Drivers

We just got back from a family wedding in Ohio. On the way, I must have been driving too fast in a work zone through New York. A few weeks later, a ticket shows up in the mail - 65 in a 45 mph zone.

The first thing my fiancé says to me is "Are you sure I wasn't driving?" It doesn't matter who was driving - the camera says we were speeding through a work zone and now my wallet is fifty dollars lighter!

The cameras snapped pics of my plate and the car from different angles, and boom, there it was. New York launched its Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement program after legislation signed by Governor Hochul in 2021. It started with a pilot program in 2023 to cut down on speeding in construction zones, where workers are at serious risk.

It’s been effective enough that they’ve extended it and expanded camera use.

First offense is usually a $50 fine, then $75 for a second within 18 months, and $100 after that. -governor.ny.gov

What about Massachusetts?

Although we have automated toll collections if you don't have an EZ PASS in Massachusetts, we don’t have these automated mailed tickets yet. There’s talk in the state budget and proposals about allowing cameras in school zones and work zones, with a possible rollout after July 1, 2026.

Lawmakers say it’s about safety, especially with all the construction around here. For now, the cops are still going to have to pull you over the old fashioned way.