More speed cameras on the way
Following the success of Fairfax County’s speed camera pilot program, the county plans to expand it to 50 more locations.
Speed cameras are currently located in nine school zones, including Sleepy Hollow Elementary on Sleepy Hollow Road.
The pilot program, launched in February 2023, resulted in reduced average speeds in nearly every test location.
Phase 1 of the photo speed enforcement program will add 50 cameras over the next few months in school and work zones.
Only the first 10 camera locations have been announced. That list includes Belvedere Elementary School on Columbia Pike. The 40 additional cameras will be installed throughout the rest of the year.
Another 30 cameras would be added in Phase 2.
According to Assistant Fairfax County Police Chief Bob Blakley, before the cameras were installed, thousands of drivers exceeded the speed limit by more than 10 mph during a sample period in school zones.
Following installation of the speed cameras, average speeds in the pilot areas were reduced by as much as 27 percent, Blakley said.
Seventy-one percent of the citations issued during the pilot were to drivers exceeding the school zone speed limit by 10-14 mph. Seven percent of drivers exceeded the speed limit by 20 mph.
Fairfax County is also outfitting the stop-sign bus arms on 50 school buses with speed cameras.
The fines for speeding are $50 for 10-14 mph over the speed limit, $75 for 15-19 mph over the limit, and $100 for 20 mph or more over the limit.
The speed limit on Sleepy Hollow Road is 35 mph and 25 mph in the school zone.
When fully implemented, the speed camera program is expected to cost $3.8 million a year. That includes staff and equipment but doesn’t factor in the fines that help offset the cost.
Just a money grab
Really speeding when kids are around isn’t good, but I can’t help but suspect this is more about additional revenue; and the reliable operation of the system when those kids are actually at risk seemed inconsistent on Sleepy Hollow Road. We hardly need more unnecessary annoyances while driving around here.
Kids are ABSOLUTELY at risk along sleepy hollow road! I stopped for a parent and their child to cross the crosswalk outside sleepy hollow and a minivan went AROUND ME, coming within 2 ft of hitting the kid.
Unfortunately these cameras can’t catch that kind of bullshit, but I’m 100% for these being placed in school zones and the fines being steep. Those that say this is a money grab have no idea how little 40k per year is in the scheme of the billions large fairfax budget. Its about safety.
Well, I’m totally on board with the Board of Supervisors doubling or tripling the fines for speeding and turning this into a major alternative funding source for our children and our poorly paid public school administrators (and teachers).
As long as the Supervisors can resist their money grubbing ways and reject imposing a restaurant/meals tax on Fairfax County without a referendum; or supporting and encouraging a massive gambling casino rivaling the MGM to fund the Fairfax Government bureaucracy and line their wallets and the wallets of their wealthy campaign donors.
But I won’t hold my breath. I still expect Fairfax County’s Supervisors to legalize every vice under the sun as long as they can tax it and claim they are doing it “for the children.”
I drove past the speed camera most weekdays on Sleepy Hollow and cars actually slowed down to below the school zone speed limit. I want to know where the money goes after paying staff, etc. Earmarked or what.
That camera doesn’t even work. No eclectic to it or anything. I walked over to it a few months and it just sitting on the grass.
Would love to see actual safety statistics instead of reducing speeds, but that probably wouldn’t let them easily justify adding more. I have never seen a student walking in the times I have passed through the blinking lights around a school. I think that they keep the lights on long after the students are in the classrooms.
A site that has good statistics on the direct value of speed cameras is
https://www.iihs.org/topics/speed#speed-safety-cameras
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is an independent, nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to reducing deaths, injuries and property damage from motor vehicle crashes through research and evaluation and through education of consumers, policymakers and safety professionals.
Unfortunately, Ellie thought this link was some sort of spam or misdirect when I posted it before, so this is probably not going to be posted either.
More evidence that insurance companies rule the world.
It’s not a money grab. Ignoring speed limits is becoming an increasingly dangerous problem as the are becomes more congested. I have seen cars zip through the school zone by that elementary school at over 50 mph. On Little River Turnpike cars routinely exceed the speedlight and ignore crosswalks completely. They should put m9re lights in to make it safer for residents.
They need to adjust the School Zone flashing lights on Sleepy Hollow asap. They flash when school is out of session, nit during the proper hours. It’s annoying.
There was a time when pedestrians had the right of way. What’s so hard about slowing down a little bit? Rage seems to rule our roads, and we all seem to cater to the few who think it’s their right to rage.
All for speed cameras during when school is in session but we all know the communists on the Fairfax Board will have these on at all hours “accidentally” to collect more money.
Another option to keeps kids safe would be to NOT DROP THEM OFF ON BUSY ROADS! See busses dropping off on Columbia Pike all the time. Pull into the neighborhoods to keep kids safe.
I am not for permanent installations of cameras. But I am for temporary installations of up to 30 days to be used as a behavior modification technique. The VA code permitting speed cameras and traffic red-light cameras should be rewritten to permit STATE and local law enforcement to enforce the following moving violations: 1) Speeding anywhere, 2) running a red light anywhere, 3) failure to stop on red before turning right, 4) violation of “right lane must turn right” rules, 4) Driving in the crosshatched medians to bypass a traffic jam. The following administrative violations should also be enforced: 1) failure to display front and rear license plates, 2) failure to display proper vehicle registration, 3) Illegal window tint.
However to prevent a money grab, the following restrictions should be placed on it: 1) Limit installations to 30 days at a time, 2) No installation shall be within .5 miles of another installation location, 2) Limit an installation location and the .5 mile radius surrounding the installation location to 1x per 180 days, unless a fatal accident occurs in that location within the 180 day cooling off period.
Since you mention Sleepy Hollow ES, I’m wondering what the speed limit is in that school zone. The posted sign has flashers going 24 x 7 x 365.
I live two blocks from Annandale High School on Medford Drive. There are maybe 2 speed limit signs, but they might as well not be there because there are cars racing at speeds well above 25 mph all night and day. Almost every home on Medford between the /high school and McWhorter Place have 2-5 cars parked on both sides making it very dangerous on the curve for cars and buses traveling in both directions. That is a whole other problem, the number of cars per home parked on the street. What is the regulation on that, 2 registered I believe.
If you don’t speed, you won’t be hit with a fine. It really is that simple. The fines don’t even start until you’re speeding at least 10 miles over the speed limit.
Now can we please get some noise cameras like those in NYC for the ridiculously loud vehicles that violate noise ordinances? I am so tired of these obnoxious vehicles tearing down our roads and disturbing my peace. This would be a huge improvement to our quality of life.
https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/news/22-005/roadside-sound-meter-camera-is-activated-loud-mufflers-now-sending-notices-vehicle
Why hasn’t a speed camera been suggested at Woodburn Elementary School Gallows Road. People speed through there from both directions. The small yellow flashing light to cross is really ineffective.
Speed Bumps around school and retail crossings slow cars down.