Speed Cameras Slow Down Drivers Near Schools

When Maureen Fay saw speed camera signs placed on the intersection of Denfeld  and Connecticut avenues last week, she was thrilled because of what it meant for her children. It meant her children would be safer walking to and from school each day.

 "Speaking as a parent, anything that can help the safety of our children is a great thing," Fay said.

The Montgomery County Police identified 25 locations in the county, many of which are near schools, to place speed cameras, in order to increase safety and decrease speeding, according to Capt. Tom Didone of District 5. One of those locations identified is the 11000 block of Connecticut Avenue near Rock View Elementary school, where Fay's children go to school.

"Connecticut Avenue has been a long-standing issue with speeding," Didone said. "It's difficult to conduct standard speed enforcement here because of the way the road is configured."

Standard enforcement involves a police officer monitoring from a side street. At this location, the only place from which the police can monitor speed, though, is on foot from a sidewalk leading from the elementary school to Connecticut Avenue.

There are currently 60 cameras in Montgomery County. Ten of these cameras are portable that can be easily moved from location to location, if necessary. These are the type of cameras that were placed off of Denfeld Avenue on Sept. 12, 2010.

Kyle Heatwole, principal of Rock View Elementary School, is a big supporter of the cameras being placed near his school. Many children and families walk across Connecticut Avenue to get to and from school every day as well as during special events at the school, he said. Because of that, the school hires crossing guards to get them across safely.

"Our hope is, judging from the impact of the speed camera in the other areas of the county, it will slow drivers down and make it safer for our kids and our community," he said.

Though the cameras are up, they will not begin operating until the week of Sept. 20. Until then, the cameras will simply flash as a warning to drivers to slow down, without ticketing. Once the cameras are in operation, they will be on from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Drivers will not get a ticket unless they are going 12 or more miles per hour over the posted speed limit, which is 40 mph.

"The purpose is voluntary compliance," Didone said. "We want people to know we are out there and to slow down. Voluntary compliance is a means to success. Ticketing is just an end result. Our ultimate goal is to keep it safe for the kids."