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PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Parking Authority is rolling out a new school-zone speed camera pilot program at five locations, with a 60-day warning period beginning Feb. 17 and full enforcement set for April 20.
What we know:
The cameras will only issue tickets when school zone flashers are on during morning and afternoon hours, and will not operate on holidays, according to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
The program is designed to reduce speeding and crashes near schools, with the goal of protecting children and deterring unsafe driving.
"Our school-zone speed camera program is about public safety and changing dangerous driving behavior," said Rich Lazer, executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
The five school zones were chosen based on crash data from 2019 to 2023, which showed 10 fatal or serious-injury crashes and 25 pedestrian crashes at these sites.
The five school zones included in the pilot are:
- John B. Stetson Middle School: E. Allegheny Ave. (A to B Streets)
- KIPP North Philadelphia Charter School: N. 16th St. (Cumberland to Huntingdon)
- Widener Memorial School: W. Olney Ave. (N. Broad to N. 16th)
- High School of the Future: W. Girard Ave. (N. 39th to N. 40th)
- William L. Sayre High School: Walnut St. (S. 58th to S. 59th)
PennDOT invests $13M in Philadelphia traffic safety projects: What we know
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced a $13 million investment through the Automated Speed Enforcement program to fund six traffic safety projects across Philadelphia, aiming to make travel safer for everyone.
Why you should care:
Councilman Isaiah Thomas, who sponsored the legislation, said, "Every student deserves a safe trip to school. In a city where 4 children are hit by a driver while walking each week, we must make bold moves to bolster traffic safety on dangerous roads around our school buildings."
The PPA is working with the City of Philadelphia and the Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems on this initiative, which builds on the city’s existing red light and speed camera programs.
The warning period will allow drivers to adjust before tickets are issued, and violations will not result in points against a driver’s license.
By the numbers:
At John B. Stetson Middle School, there were 5 serious-injured crashes, 4 pedestrian crashes, and 1 speeding-related crash, with 2 crashes causing serious pedestrian injuries in 2021 and 2022.
KIPP North Philadelphia Charter School saw 1 serious injury crash and 9 pedestrian crashes. Widener Memorial School had 1 fatal crash in March 2023 and 5 pedestrian crashes. High School of the Future recorded 2 serious injury crashes, 3 pedestrian crashes, and 3 speeding-related crashes. William L. Sayre High School had 1 serious injury crash and 4 pedestrian crashes.
Red light camera warning period at West Philadelphia intersection extended for 2 weeks
The warning period for red light cameras at a busy West Philadelphia intersection has been extended by two weeks, the Philadelphia Parking Authority announced on Wednesday.
The city says speeding is the top cause of fatal crashes. "We must ensure that students walking to school and home are safe, as well as the crossing guards who often put their lives at risk to get drivers to slow down," said Michael A. Carroll, City of Philadelphia Deputy Managing Director of OTIS.
The cameras are part of the city’s Vision Zero program, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths.
The program’s impact will be monitored, and results from similar technology on Roosevelt Boulevard showed a 95% reduction in speeding and a 50% drop in pedestrian-involved crashes, according to Lazer.
What we don't know:
It is not yet clear if the program will expand to additional school zones after the pilot or if any changes will be made based on early results. Details about ticket amounts and how drivers will be notified have not been provided.