WASHINGTON — Six new speed cameras placed in areas known for speeding go online Wednesday across the District of Columbia.
The new cameras will be at these locations:
- 6100 Eastern Avenue NE, southeastbound: 25 mph
- 3200 Fort Lincoln Drive NE, southbound: 25 mph
- 1900 Branch Avenue SE, southbound: 25 mph
- 600 Kenilworth Avenue NE, southbound: 25 mph
- 1400 South Capitol Street, northbound and southbound: 25 mph
While revenue for the speed cameras in the District dropped last year, the six new cameras could reverse that trend because of their placement.
There are many reasons for the overall drop in speed camera revenue. The Metropolitan Police Department admits that weather shut down some of the equipment in early 2014, but others point to more people slowing down in front of the cameras. It could be increased compliance; it could be the growth of crowdsourcing navigation apps such as Waze that beep when a camera is approached.
In 2014, the D.C. police issued 285,117 speed-camera tickets, according to documents obtained by WTOP Ticketbuster — a steep decline from the 845,475 issued in 2012. In comparison, the city issued 72,691 red light-camera tickets in 2014, only a slight drop from the 77,878 issued in 2013.
Nevertheless, the District of Columbia has generated $357 million in speed-camera revenue since fiscal year 2007, AAA Mid-Atlantic says.
“If you were to stack the amount of money made in $1,000 bills, then they would stack as high as 350 Empire State Buildings,” says John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of public and government affairs.
More locally, it would take 700 Washington Monuments together to reach that height. Don’t even try to calculate it in $100 bills.
But Townsend doesn’t believe these cameras are being used to generate revenue. He thinks these six locations are good places to stick them.
“Anytime you can cause motorists to slow and protect the lives and limbs of pedestrians and cyclists, and the elderly and children, you’re doing a good thing,” says Townsend.
In general, speed cameras issue tickets at more than 10 mph over the speed limit.
