Residents call Route 198 ‘the most unfair speed camera area’

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Construction on the Main Street overpass on Route 198 is receiving backlash from neighbors.

The complaints aren’t about loud noise or dust, but a construction zone speeding camera that’s been snapshotting and fining residents.

“To me it was a bit disingenuous and I felt like it was an unnecessary money grab against taxpayers,” said Buffalo resident Patrick Freeman.

Freeman was issued not one, but two tickets in the span of three days on the 198 westbound in what he calls “the most unfair speed camera area.”

Traveling down Route 198, residents pass a mobile speed camera in the construction area under the Main Street overpass.

“If you were totally interested in safety, I would think there would have been more signs out,” Freeman said. “I don’t remember seeing a sign of any kind of warning.”

It’s meant to deter speeding in construction zones, however, Freeman said with merging traffic, a difficult Parkside exit ramp and the quick change in speed limit, it makes it impossible to safely do so within the speed limit.

“You’re coming from a 50 mile an hour area immediately into a 30 mile an hour area,” he said. “You also have people trying to merge onto the 198 and you’ve got people trying to exit.”

The state is currently in year three of its Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program issued by Governor Kathy Hochul. Last year alone, over 130,000 violations were made.

Freeman, who’s a retired police officer of 30 years, said he appreciates safety, adding that he hasn’t had a speeding ticket to his name until the one issued by the automated camera.

“There’s no human factor in this at all. You’re dealing with a camera that does not take into consideration your driver’s history,” he said.

The only other automated camera in Erie County as of Monday is located on Grider Street.

Freeman said he’s reaching out to local leaders and expects a full reimbursement from New York state. The two tickets cost him over $100.

“We’re on a fixed income,” Freeman said. “I have to budget myself once a month and I wasn’t expecting giving up these kinds of funds in a three-day period.”

A spokesperson from the Buffalo Common Council said that for anyone looking to fight their ticket, it’s a state issue and isn’t operated by the city.

WIVB News 4 reached out to the State Department of Transportation for comment, but no one was available. The agency referred News 4 to the Federal Department of Transportation, which said drivers should take caution in work zones.

Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.