STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Local artist Scott LoBaido launched on Saturday what he expects to be a long-lasting protest against the increase in speed cameras on Staten Island.

“We got inundated with these speed cameras,” said LoBaido while he was distributing signs and ribbons to volunteers who joined at a parking lot in Midland Beach. “This is money sucking BS for the mayor.”

Volunteers were assigned a location of one of the 80 speed cameras spots on the Island. Each protestor held a sign LoBaido created depicting the face of Mayor Bill de Blasio with a dollar sign and horns on his forehead that read “speed cam ahead.”

The protestors held the signs for two hours on Saturday at all the speed camera locations.

Additionally, volunteers were also asked to tie a yellow ribbon about 20 or 30 feet before the speed cameras in order to let drivers know they are approaching them.

The Advance recently compiled a comprehensive list of all the speed cameras on Staten Island for January 2020.

“These invasive, money sucking cameras are just a big ‘F U’ to Staten Island,” said LoBaido.

The mayor’s office didn’t immediately respond to Advance inquiries for comment about the protest.

The rapid rise in fixed speed camera locations is not specific to Staten Island and is impacting drivers throughout the five boroughs, with citywide speed camera locations increasing 599%, from 80 to 559, over the same time span.

Data provided by the DOT during the recent meeting showed that the installation of speed cameras does, in fact, deter speeding in the zones in which they’re installed, with the average daily violation rate for a camera being 104 violations per day in its first month, and just 35 per day in its 18th month, a decrease of 66%.

$10M GENERATED

An analysis of all the speed cameras in New York City revealed that the city generated over $10 million in speed camera fines throughout the five boroughs.

“It is past the point of public safety. It is a revenue generator and that’s what it is,” Jim Gonzalez, of Great Kills, said as he was standing at the speed camera location at Hylan Boulevard at Tysens Lane, which has generated a total of 225 tickets and $11,250 in fines in January.

Many drivers who passed by on Hylan Boulevard honked to show their support.

On Staten Island there were 23,157 violations between Jan. 1 and Jan. 27, representing about 857.7 violations per day, 35.7 violations per hour or 0.6 violations per hour. In fines, these violations amount to approximately $1,157,850 total, which is $42,883.33 per day, $1,786.81 per hour or $29.78 per minute, the Advance found.

“This is an unfair tax,” said Dan Bahno of Eltingville after receiving his yellow ribbon. “Where is the money going?"

LoBaido said that the protest will keep going until something changes.

“We need sings making it clear that you are entering a school zone with the hours the speed cameras are in use clearly displayed. Only then we will believe that the city has these cameras in place to promote public safety instead of raising revenues,” said Leticia Remauro, who stood at Midland and Mason Avenues, a speed camera location that issued $41,250 in fines in January.

Overall, about 100 volunteers are expected to be at almost all speed cameras locations during the protest, LoBaido said.