Legislature paves way for use of speed cameras
Will be used in school and construction zones next year; $40 citation fee
By Dan Schwind
dschwind@patuxent.com
Posted 4/10/09
Howard County residents can expect to see speed cameras on county roadways next year after the Maryland General Assembly authorized their use in construction and school zones.
“It just goes to show you that good things can happen even in Annapolis,” said Sen. James Robey, an Elkridge Democrat and one of the leading supporters of speed cameras in the Howard County delegation.
Under the bill approved by state lawmakers, owners of vehicles spotted traveling at least 12 mph above the posted limit in camera-monitored zones would receive $40 citations in the mail. Owners could contest those tickets in court and would not be penalized with points on their licenses.
Robey had pushed for a more liberal, local version of the speed camera bill, which would have allowed cameras only in Howard County but in more areas than just construction and school zones. That bill was approved by the House of Delegates but died in a Senate committee.
One objection to the Howard bill and similar localized speed camera bills in Prince George’s County and Baltimore, was that the jurisdictions would use them mainly to generate revenue.
The statewide bill negated those concerns by including a provision that requires any money generated by the cameras that is not needed to pay the cost of operating them to be given to Maryland State Police and the State Highway Administration.
County Executive Kenneth Ulman, who has been one of the bill’s biggest proponents, said he wants the cameras for public safety.
“In this county, 30 people per year die from collisions related to speed, compared to between four and six people from murder,” he said. “I’d like for both those numbers to be zero, but we need some more tools to help us on the vehicular side.”
Ulman said his administration already is examining how to implement speed cameras, and that he has asked the county police for input.
“We want to make sure we have a plan to bring down speeding in our county,” Ulman said. “It’s too early to know exactly how we’ll do that, but the chief of police is creating that plan.”
Ulman said he expects the county speed camera strategy to be finalized and ready for public presentation late this year or early in 2010.
Speed cameras are only in use now in Montgomery County.
This story has been updated.
“It just goes to show you that good things can happen even in Annapolis,” said Sen. James Robey, an Elkridge Democrat and one of the leading supporters of speed cameras in the Howard County delegation.
Under the bill approved by state lawmakers, owners of vehicles spotted traveling at least 12 mph above the posted limit in camera-monitored zones would receive $40 citations in the mail. Owners could contest those tickets in court and would not be penalized with points on their licenses.
Robey had pushed for a more liberal, local version of the speed camera bill, which would have allowed cameras only in Howard County but in more areas than just construction and school zones. That bill was approved by the House of Delegates but died in a Senate committee.
One objection to the Howard bill and similar localized speed camera bills in Prince George’s County and Baltimore, was that the jurisdictions would use them mainly to generate revenue.
The statewide bill negated those concerns by including a provision that requires any money generated by the cameras that is not needed to pay the cost of operating them to be given to Maryland State Police and the State Highway Administration.
County Executive Kenneth Ulman, who has been one of the bill’s biggest proponents, said he wants the cameras for public safety.
“In this county, 30 people per year die from collisions related to speed, compared to between four and six people from murder,” he said. “I’d like for both those numbers to be zero, but we need some more tools to help us on the vehicular side.”
Ulman said his administration already is examining how to implement speed cameras, and that he has asked the county police for input.
“We want to make sure we have a plan to bring down speeding in our county,” Ulman said. “It’s too early to know exactly how we’ll do that, but the chief of police is creating that plan.”
Ulman said he expects the county speed camera strategy to be finalized and ready for public presentation late this year or early in 2010.
Speed cameras are only in use now in Montgomery County.
This story has been updated.
user comments (1)
user beatendowntaxpayer says...
Gee, the government has spent so much time and effort to "save lives" with higher cigarette taxes, smoking regulation, trying to ban other "unhealthy" foods, forcing people to government health plans, cameras to monitor people's unsafe behavior and addtional laws to protect people from themselves and additional regulation, it's amazing that anyone dies at all.
Posted 1:32 PM, 04.12.09 | Permalink
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