NYC Council eyes amnesty for late payments on unpaid traffic tickets

Rich Calder
·2 min read
composite image: upper left traffic light; lower left a red light camera attached to a pole; riight Julie Menin
Manhattan Councilwoman Julie Menin's new bill would create a three-month amnesty program that would waive late penalties for people with default judgments for traffic and parking violations and summonses dished out through the city's Environmental Control Board.
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New Yorkers who’ve racked up late penalties on unpaid traffic tickets could soon catch a big break.

NYC Councilwoman Julie Menin (D-Manhattan) said she’s introducing a bill Thursday to create a three-month amnesty program in which the city Department of Finance would waive late penalties, including interest, for anyone who pays the base penalty on unpaid parking and moving-violation tickets.

Menin’s bill hopes to tap into more than $1 billion in unpaid fines in default, including fines owed by motorists caught speeding or running a red line in New York City on camera. AP
Menin’s bill hopes to tap into more than $1 billion in unpaid fines in default, including fines owed by motorists caught speeding or running a red line in New York City on camera. AP

Scofflaws who pay off unpaid illegal dumping, and building- and fire-code violations imposed through the city’s Environmental Control Board would get a bigger break, paying just 75% of imposed penalties while also having late fees waived, according to the legislation.

“In our current fiscal situation, we simply cannot afford to leave money on the table — let alone over $1 billion in unpaid fines,” Menin told The Post.

“Creating an amnesty program will help ease the burden for individuals struggling to make ends meet and result in hundreds of millions of dollars restored to the city’s coffers,” she predicted.

An Independent Budget Office report last year found the city had yet to collect on more than $1 billion in parking and camera traffic fines and another $940 million in ECB fines. The April 2023 report also noted 29% of people issued parking and cameras summonses in 2022 failed to settle their debts.

Additional revenue collected from scofflaws could be used to help offset some of Mayor Eric Adams’ proposed budget cuts for the fiscal year, beginning July 1, that impact early childhood education, public libraries and street cleaning, said Menin.

Nearly 30% of motorists issued parking and traffic camera tickets in 2022 failed to pay their fines, according to an April 2023 report by the Independent Budget Office. Christopher Sadowski
Nearly 30% of motorists issued parking and traffic camera tickets in 2022 failed to pay their fines, according to an April 2023 report by the Independent Budget Office. Christopher Sadowski

“We need to collect every debt owed before making cuts to vital city services,” Menin said.

Adams spokesperson Liz Garcia said the Mayor’s Office “will review the legislation.”