Next steps
While opponents maintain the cameras arbitrarily increase the cost of driving, backers argue they are among the more effective ways of deterring drivers from speeding.
On Roosevelt Boulevard, the cameras reduced speeding by 95% at the 10 intersections where they were installed, according to a recent city report.
“It’s not that the fine is particularly large. It’s not that there’s huge consequences. It’s that I know if I do this I will get a fine. And that gets people to correct their behavior. And then once you get enough people acting safe and rationally, that impacts the traffic flow for the entire corridor,” said Puchalsky.
The goal is to get to a point where there are hardly any speeding violations.
“We would love to have no violations,” said Lazer. “It’s more about safety than anything else.”
Once the cameras are installed, there will be a 60-day grace period during which drivers will be issued a written warning instead of a violation, said Puchalsky. After that, drivers must be traveling at least 11 miles per hour over the posted speed limit to receive a violation, which can run up to $150 in corridors and school zones.
The PPA will collect revenue from the violations and send to PennDOT to put toward a dedicated fund that issues grants to municipalities for traffic safety projects. To date, Philadelphia has received nearly $30 million from that fund, according to the PPA.
Over the summer, the city will set the speed limit on Broad Street at 25 mph. Currently, the speed limit is 25 mph on South Broad Street and 30 mph on North Broad Street. That work will be completed before the cameras are activated.
The city is working on determining the speed limits for the other four corridors set to receive speed cameras:
- State Route 13 (Baltimore Avenue/Roosevelt Boulevard/Frankford Avenue)
- State Road 2016 (Allegheny Avenue)
- State Road 3 (Chestnut Street/Walnut Street)
- State Road 291 (Penrose Avenue/Bartram Avenue/Moyamensing Avenue)
It’s unclear when legislation for those cameras will be introduced in City Council.
The first council session after the summer recess is Sept. 5. Puchalsky said those bills can be introduced once the city completes engineering studies for each of the remaining corridors, a task that could be completed by the fall.
The cameras may be installed on different corridors simultaneously.