Turnpike general manager Greg Barr
said the authority already has cameras on the individual toll booths and a wide
view of the entire plaza from up high. The new cameras will focus on a
different angle.
“What we’re going to do is add them
to the lanes to get a lane view,” Barr said. “It’s just 12 cameras per toll
plaza.
“They help resolve questions of
patrons and collectors. They’re good training aids for the collectors.”
At a cost of about $34,000, the
cameras could end up saving the Parkways Authority major money in the long run.
“One accident, one lawsuit, can
cost you $70,000, just the settlements and things,” Barr said. “So we look at
this in a way many times to deter, defer, discourage people from claiming
something that may have happened that didn’t.”
The cameras, which cost about
$1,000 each, should be installed sometime this fall. They can save data for up
to a month.
