Northeast Philadelphia may soon be home to new cameras that will take pictures of speeding cars in order to fine the drivers. This comes after the Philadelphia Parking Authority has spent the last ten years increasing its workforce with the help of a series of red-light cameras.
The red-light cameras are different from the proposed speed cameras because they are placed at traffic lights to catch offenders. When a car drives through a red light, the cameras photograph their license plate so that they can be caught in the act when there are no police officers in the area. This is done to try and prevent collisions that occur when cars enter the intersection while traffic is coming from other directions. Fines from the cameras already in place have added up to a current amount of $19 million in unpaid fees.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority will be responsible for the new speed cameras as well as the red-light cameras. The speed cameras will be able to automatically sense when cars are going over the posted speed limit. This will activate the camera to record the rear license plate of the offending car along with the time and date that it occurred. The speed that the car was going at will also be saved.
The proposal currently calls for a pilot program that will place speed cameras along Roosevelt Boulevard. The legislation was proposed by State Rep. John Taylor of Northeast Philadelphia. He stated that Roosevelt Boulevard is “one of the most dangerous roadways in the state.” He hopes that the cameras will encourage drivers to slow down and make the roads safer for pedestrians. There are 11 co-sponsors on the legislation which include both Democrats and Republicans.
New York City has speed cameras in place in certain locations. This has led to a decrease in injuries to pedestrians by 23 percent in those areas.
