Shrinking the speed zone could mean fewer speeding tickets on I-295

Good news for commuters who use Interstate 295. D.C. has scaled back the boundaries of a speed reduction zone, where photo enforcement cameras issued thousands of tickets to drivers exceeding the 40 mph limit.

Because of the lengthy work zone, and the 40 mph limit, the number of speed camera tickets issued to drivers on I-295 more than doubled from May to June this year — from fewer than 10,000 to nearly 23,000.

Now, the D.C. Department of Transportation said two big work projects — the Anacostia Bridges over Nicholson Street and the Anacostia Freeway Bridges over South Capitol Street — are nearly complete, so it’s shrinking the 40 mph zone.

Effective immediately, the reduced speed zone is limited to the stretch of I-295 from Interstate 695 to Chesapeake Street.

At its height, the work zone extended about 6 miles with at least three photo enforcement cameras which monitored the speed zone. Those cameras generated tickets with costs as high as $200.

Below is the new speed zone.

Dick Uliano

Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives.

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