NYC traffic ticket revenue rises

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A new report from the Comptroller's Office shows that last year the city collected over $900 million in fines. Mayor Bill De Blasio's Vision Zero campaign has reduced traffic fatalities, but at the same time New Yorkers have had to dish out a lot more money in traffic fines.

In 2015 the city collected $957 million in tickets, up 7.5 percent from 2014. A large majority of the penalties were parking and traffic-related.

We reached out to the Mayor's Office; a spokesperson said: "The fact remains that traffic fatalities are down 22 percent vision zero was instituted."

Traffic attorney Martin Karon said the city shouldn't do away with Vision Zero but wants police officers to be given a lot more discretion. Karon says he has also seen an increase in tickets for failing to yield for pedestrians.

The number of traffic camera fines was up as well. Last year the city accounted for $77 million. That's a 41 percent increase since 2012. The mayor is planning on adding more traffic cameras as well as bus lane cameras throughout the city. The number of traffic camera fines will increase this year.