Albany’s school-zone speed camera program has become a flashpoint, generating $7.7 million from 206,000 tickets in its first year. The city keeps a fraction of this revenue but projects millions more, fueling accusations that the program is a tax on drivers disguised as safety. Business owners and suburbanites claim the aggressive ticketing creates a hostile environment, deterring visitors and hurting the local economy. Critics cite poorly marked zones and extended operating hours as evidence of a money grab. In response, city officials defend the cameras as an undeniable success, pointing to crash data that shows they have slowed traffic and made streets safer. Despite the public’s fury and the reputational cost to the city, the program is seen by supporters as a necessary, if unpopular, tool to curb endemic reckless driving.