Speed cameras on Frankford Avenue hill in Northeast Philly trigger tickets, driver complaints
Drivers frustrated by Frankford Avenue speed cameras
New speed cameras on Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia are issuing tickets to drivers exceeding the reduced speed limit, with particular frustration over a camera placed on a steep hill.
PHILADELPHIA - Drivers on Route 13 in Northeast Philadelphia are adjusting to a new speed limit and speed cameras, with tickets now being issued after a two-month warning period, according to the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Speed limit drops and new cameras on Frankford Avenue
What we know:
The speed limit on a stretch of Frankford Avenue has been reduced from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour, and new cameras have been installed to monitor drivers.
Drivers say they have received warnings but are now being more careful to avoid tickets. "I got two warnings so I know not to go fast no more, so I’m going to go slow," said Joe Drioli, of Mayfair. "I received two warnings already, no tickets yet, but I’m trying to be really careful at this point," said Janice Fritz, of Northeast Philadelphia.
After two months of sending out warnings, the Philadelphia Parking Authority officially started live ticketing. Drivers begin receiving tickets once they exceed eleven miles per hour or more over the limit, with fines starting at $100 and increasing the faster you go.
Some drivers are frustrated by the placement of cameras on the 9900 block of Frankford Avenue, which sits on a steep hill. "That’s why I go fast up there because you have to go fast," one driver said.
Drivers react to enforcement and safety claims
The other side:
Some drivers believe the cameras are not about safety but about generating revenue.
"Honestly I don’t think it’s a safety feature I think it’s just more money they are trying to get out of us," said Suzanne Deeb, of Northeast Philadelphia.
Others say the new speed limit and cameras are causing traffic issues.
"It’s crazy to make essentially another boulevard out of Frankford. People aren’t going 25, people pull out in front of you, because everybody is creeping, you can’t get anywhere you need to be," said Denetria Salyer, of Northeast Philadelphia.
A post on the "Concerned Citizens of the 8th District" Facebook page read, "Put a camera on the hill in front of ShopRite where you have to hit the gas to go up the hill. Got two warnings doing 36 mph. Same exact spot both times! Should do a survey to see if that spot is the moneymaker due to the incline."
Some drivers are now taking different routes to avoid the hill. "I go out that way now so I’ll go out that way and skip this spot because it is a hill, but I travel this all time so I’ll just go slow," one driver said.
The backstory:
According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority website, cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard have led to a 93 percent drop in speeding tickets, a 21 percent drop in fatal and serious injury crashes, and a 50 percent decrease in pedestrian-involved crashes.
What we don't know:
It is not clear if the Philadelphia Parking Authority plans to adjust camera placement on hills or if any changes will be made based on driver complaints.
The Source: Information from the Philadelphia Parking Authority and interviews with local drivers.