City of Baltimore Launches Automated Speed Monitoring Program
Baltimore, Maryland (September 28, 2009) Mayor Sheila Dixon was joined today by Baltimore City Department of Transportation Director Al Foxx, and Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld along with Glenmount Elementary/Middle School students and staff to announce the launch of an automated speed monitoring program in an effort to decrease driver speeds in school zones throughout the city.
“In an effort to promote safe driving habits throughout our communities and particularly in our school zones, the City of Baltimore is launching this important initiative,” said Mayor Dixon. “This automated speed enforcement program is designed to reduce driver speeds and make our streets safer for school children, motorists and pedestrians.”
The city’s new speed enforcement initiative will start on October 1, 2009. During the initial 30-day warning phase, motorists who exceed the speed limit by at least 12 miles per hour while driving through city school zones will receive warning notices in the mail.
Once the warning phase is complete, commuters who drive aggressively will receive $40 citations. These citations are not reported to insurance companies and no license points will be assigned. Notification signs will be placed at all speed enforcement locations so that motorists will be aware that they are approaching a speed check zone. The goal of the program is to make the streets of Baltimore safer by changing aggressive driving behavior.
The city plans to retrofit a targeted 51 red light camera locations with the new automated speed enforcement technology. In addition, five mobile enforcement units which will be rotated throughout school zones across the city should be in operation by the spring of 2010.