In Philadelphia, a bill to install speed cameras in many school zones was rejected by the City Council on Monday.
Isaiah Thomas, a council member, defended a plan he introduced that would test speed enforcement cameras in five school zones over the course of five years.
Based on recent crash statistics, seven school zones were recommended as potential camera locations.
“There are those heartbreaking situations when you get those text messages that a child has been hit by a car going to or from school. Unfortunately, just last week, an 11-year-old in Philadelphia was hit by a car in the morning on the way to school,” Thomas stated.
Depending on how fast they were going, drivers who were caught speeding close to one of the schools would face fines ranging from $100 to $150.
Only during school hours would the cameras be in operation.
“People driving wild is just unsafe”
In the city, Machumu Freeman works as a parent and teacher. He agrees that speed calming measures are required, as does his son Sekou.
“School zones should be the safest streets and roads in the city. Drivers should be more careful,” Machumu Freeman stated.
“Put them in every single school zone because people driving wild is just unsafe,” student Sekou Freeman stated.
In order to prevent unfair tickets, committee members were particularly concerned about whether drivers would receive adequate warning about the speed cameras and the pilot program.
“Speed cameras helped me to stop speeding, especially on the Boulevard, because I got tired of paying the speeding tickets,” Machumu Freeman said.
According to a 2023 study by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Advisory Committee, speed cameras on Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Boulevard have been effective in reducing the speed of careless drivers.
This year, the city also intends to install speed enforcement cameras on Broad Street.
The bill is scheduled for a vote by the entire council on April 24.
This information has been sourced from CBS News.
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