Speed camera to be installed at Belvedere Elementary

The Fairfax County Police Department is installing speed cameras at 10 additional schools.

Three schools are being added in the first group, including Belvedere Elementary School on Columbia Pike in Mason District. A 30-day warning period will begin on July 2, with citations issued beginning on Aug. 18.

Citations will begin Sept. 17 for the other seven schools, none of which are in Mason District. Future plans call for adding speed cameras at 10 additional schools, including Bren Mar Park Elementary.

The Board of Supervisors approved a speed camera pilot program in December 2022. Under the pilot, the devices were installed at eight schools, including Sleepy Hollow Elementary.

Drivers caught speeding get a $50 citation for going 10-14 miles per hour over the speed limit. The fines climb to $75 for going 15-19 mph over the limit and to $100 for exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph.

Related story: Supervisors approve speed cameras

The speed limit in school zones is 25 mph.

According to a report on the program’s effectiveness, the average speed on Sleepy Hollow Road in front of Sleepy Hollow Elementary was 28.29 mph after the pilot and dipped to 25.4 mph in February 2024.

Among the citations issued at all locations, 75 percent were for drivers going 35-39 mph, 22 percent were for drivers going 40-45 mph, and 7 percent were for drivers exceeding 45 mph.