ROCHESTER, N.Y. — If you’ve noticed a temporary camera pop-up in your neighborhood, you’re not alone. Last week, News10NBC told you how the NYSDOT is using traffic counting cameras on a number of residential streets, dead-ends and cul-de-sacs. 

The cameras are normally attached to a street sign. They’re up for three days and then the company contracted through the state DOT comes back to pick them up and move on to another street. 

We’ve gotten a lot of questions about the cameras over the last few weeks. 

They’re owned by a company called National Data Surveying and Services, which has a contract with the state to collect traffic data across our region. 

Jennifer Lewke, News10NBC: “What exactly do the cameras capture and how is that data handled?

Justin Wypij, Operations Manager with National Data Surveying and Services: “So, it’s a camera. I’m looking at a camera. So it acts just like a camera. So what happens is we collect it, depending on what they want, usually three days, 72 hours of continuous data. And then we have people watch the video and analyze it to make sure, how many vehicles are going through and what type.”

We know why that’s necessary in high volume areas. But what about in quiet neighborhoods? 

“It’s government funding. That’s a road, there might be one house on it or a cul-de-sac with five houses on it. There is still government funding. So there’s paving going on, there’s lining going on, they need to know the weight of the vehicles that are going on there so they can change the aggregate of the stone.”

The problem is, in a number of towns, there was no advance warning to residents. The cameras just popped up. 

“I looked up the number for the state DOT, called them, they said ‘We have no idea what it is,’ told me to call Monroe County. So I called Monore County DOT… no idea. They told me to call the town. Called the Town of Penfield, I talked to three different people at the town, DPW, the town clerk… and there was one other person, no idea.. told me to call 911,” explains Nicole Felts from Penfield.

After News10NBC’s reporting last week, the DOT did reach out to towns with more information. But in some cases, it was too late. . 

There seems to have been a communication breakdown between the state DOT and the towns. Because of it a number of the cameras have been moved, taken down, or vandalized. 

“They sprayed it with some sort of goo, they ripped out the camera unit inside of it, and then stole the battery. That’s over $1,000 worth of stuff,” said Justin. “They’re thinking that we’re the CIA or some clandestine operation seeking to understand what’s going on at their pool party, which is not the case.”

All the poles do have a sticker with a 1-800 number on them, that goes to NDS and Justin says he’s happy to answer any additional questions people may have about the cameras.