CHENANGO COUNTY – After seven months of offering drivers alternative proceedings in the wake of receiving a traffic ticket, Chenango County Traffic Diversion Coordinator Gard Turner said the program has already proved itself to be a great success.

Turner said since the program received its first participant on May 11 of this year, 620 participants have taken advantage of the program, generating $128,000 in revenue to be split between Chenango County and the township in which the infraction occurred.

Following the lead of other counties in New York State, Chenango County’s Traffic Diversion Program is designed to afford motorists who commit certain non-serious vehicle and traffic violations an opportunity to participate in a traffic safety course approved by the NYS DMV in lieu of a conviction on the traffic offense.

Upon the completion of the traffic safety course and payment of the required application fee, the motorist’s traffic ticket(s) will be dismissed.

Asked if there is a way the program could be even more successful in 2018, Turner said, “Not really, no one anticipated it being this big so fast. I’ve worked very hard talking with people to get the word out.”

“Gard [Turner’s] doing a great job of administering the program, of working with all the town courts in the county, and making sure people who have tickets know that the program is an available option to dispose of their tickets,” said Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride about Turner.