DOT won't commit to a May 2027 start for 'Stop Super Speeders.' What it told the Council

The city's "Stop Super Speeders" program is supposed to make the most reckless drivers install devices that keep their cars at the speed limit. At a City Council hearing Tuesday, the city's transportation commissioner would not say when it will start.

DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn did not commit to the May 2027 launch date in the Council's bill. He pointed to software, back-end systems and outside partners the city has to work with, Streetsblog reported. Transportation Committee Chair Shaun Abreu told Streetsblog that "speed is of the essence."

Why it matters to residents: the program is aimed at a small group of drivers who rack up camera tickets again and again. Transportation Alternatives counts 16,500 vehicles that have reached super-speeder levels so far this year, up 12% from 2025, Streetsblog reported. A city official said in September that DOT was "probably over a year away" from launching.

What our records add

The bill is Int. 1153, from Council Member Kayla Santosuosso. It was introduced Oct. 22 and had its hearing five days later at the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which laid it over. It would set up the city's program under a state law passed this year. Owners whose vehicles get 16 finally adjudicated speed-camera tickets in 12 months would have to install an intelligent speed assistance device.

It has 15 sponsors, short of the 26 votes needed to pass. Besides Santosuosso, they include Abreu (District 7), Lincoln Restler, Crystal Hudson, Julie Won, Shahana K. Hanif, Sandy Nurse, Lynn C. Schulman and Virginia Maloney.

The administration supports it. In his testimony, Flynn said the administration was proud to have pushed for the state law, and that a "small group of recidivist speeders" keeps putting people in danger (transcript).

On timing, Flynn's answer was "as quickly as possible." When Santosuosso asked what stands in the way of an on-time start (transcript), Flynn called it "a very new program," probably the largest of its kind in the country. He said parts of the schedule depend on the state Department of Motor Vehicles, the city's Department of Finance and other partners. If the full rollout slips, he said, DOT wants to get "early elements and testing" going in the meantime (transcript).

Out-of-state plates are a gap. Santosuosso pointed out that many super-speeder vehicles are registered in other states. The state law works by blocking a New York registration. Officials told her the city can still order a device for an out-of-state vehicle, and can fine the owner for not installing one. Those tickets would go to traffic court (transcript). Streetsblog reported that the bill raises that fine from $50 to at least $1,500, and that 32% of drivers with more than 16 camera tickets have out-of-state plates.

Members also pressed the NYPD on enforcement. Abreu opened the hearing by noting that the department's Vision Zero moving summonses are still about 40% below pre-pandemic levels (transcript). An NYPD official answered that summonses are up more than 40% from their 2021 low (transcript). Flynn told the committee that traffic deaths are at historic lows for the first three quarters of 2026 (transcript).

Other bills were heard and held. The committee also laid over Int. 613 on protected bike lanes, Int. 1070 on a low-traffic neighborhood pilot, Int. 113 on a dangerous-driving study, Int. 46 on autism warning signs, and Res. 687 on a state drag-racing bill. Our committee page shows 159 items pending there, 122 of them for more than 180 days.

This is a follow-up to our Tuesday story on city-placarded vehicles with super-speeder records.

What's next

To move forward, Int. 1153 needs a committee vote and then a vote of the full Council, followed by the mayor's signature. No vote is scheduled. The next stated meeting is Nov. 12. Restler told Streetsblog he wants the bill passed and signed quickly so DOT can meet the May 2027 date, or start sooner.