ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The New York State Department of Transportation’s photo radar system on I-490 at the Alexander Street overpass issued 25,000 speeding tickets over the course of 26 days, resulting in at least $1.2 million in fines. However, one truck driver told News10NBC Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean that he has no sympathy for those drivers.

“I take it very seriously. If it says 40 you should be going 40,” said Phil Cornell, a truck driver. “If you’re going faster you get a ticket.”

Cornell started driving trucks after a career of selling cars. He watched Brean’s stories on people with speeding tickets from the state transportation photo radar on I-490.

“People are focused on – I got a ticket. And hey, I apologize. I feel bad these people got a ticket. They need to slow down,” Cornell said.

Andrew Jurman got a ticket in October. The video from the radar camera captured his red Honda Civic. Based on the video, if Jurman got a ticket, at least eight other drivers going about the same speed got one in the span of 12 seconds.

Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “Did you think you were speeding?”

Andrew Jurman, got a NYSDOT speeding ticket: “No. Not at all. I was moving right along with the rest of the traffic.”

Jurman’s ticket indicated he was going 52 mph.

Andrew Jurman: “I did not feel like I was going over the speed limit at all.”

Berkeley told Cornell that the number one complaint from drivers was they didn’t see the warning sign, they didn’t think they were going that fast, and when they got the ticket it was a shock to them.

Cornell: “There is a sign there that said 40 miles an hour?”

Berkeley Brean: “It’s always 40 miles an hour.”

Phil Cornell: “It’s 40.”

Cornell believes slowing down only adds 15 to 30 seconds to your commute.

As Berkeley and Cornell talked on November 4, unknown to them at the time, a car hit and killed a Thruway employee on I-90. Three days later, the NYS Department of Transportation tweeted video of a crash a work zone on I-81.

Since the photo radar project started last year, the state issued more than 132,000 tickets, with over 44,000 in the Rochester area. The fines topped more than $5 million by the end of October.

The state DOT told News10NBC:

“There is nothing more important to the New York State Department of Transportation than the safety of our workers and contractors. Together with our partners at the Thruway Authority, we are committed to using every tool at our disposal to keep them safe and the Automated Work Zone Speed Monitoring Pilot Program is part of that effort. It is intended to protect the lives of our work crews and the traveling public.”

Cornell: “I don’t think there should be signs up saying that it’s photo speed enforced.”

Berkeley Brean: “Not even a sign to warn people?”

Phil Cornell: “None! Slow down!”

The state publishes where the photo radar SUVs are located. There are now two on I-390 south in Henrietta – one near Jefferson Road and one at the Leigh Station Road exit.

Your first ticket is $50. If it happens again within a year and a half, it’s $75. A third is $100.

One of the complaints News10NBC receives is that it takes up to 14 days to process and mail the ticket, so people get multiple tickets before they even know they’re in trouble. You can challenge the ticket but out of the 132,000 issued, only 235 have been dismissed.

The legislation authorizing the program currently has a sunset date of October 6, 2026.

The proceeds from the fines go into the state’s programs to increase safety at work zones.

RELATED:

• State speed radar catches hundreds of drivers going over 40 mph in I-490 construction zone, earning fines
• News10NBC Investigates: ‘It was an expensive month for me’: Rochester man hit with 5 speeding tickets from state’s photo radar SUV

A.I. assisted with the formatting of this story. Click here to see how WHEC News10NBC uses A.I.