WASHINGTON – That new speed camera along Foxhall Road in Northwest snapped Chef Geoff Tracy’s picture not once, not twice but three times. And now he’s taking action to alert other drivers.
The celebrity chef says he’s no race car driver.
“I was caught going 11 mph over the speed limit, and twice going 16 mph over the speed limit,” Tracy tells WTOP.
Now the celebrity chef is taking action to warn others who may not be aware that the 25-mph speed limit on the downhill stretch of Foxhall Road near Whitehaven Parkway is now backed up by a camera.
Chef Geoff, who paid $150 per ticket, has hired a sign spinner to warn drivers about the camera.
The sign reads: “Please slow down. New speed camera in 500 feet. $150 fines.”
After the new speed camera went up on Foxhall Road in late November, warnings were issued to speeding drivers until December 21. But Chef Geoff says he did not receive any warnings until Dec. 29.
Little did he know, the fines started racking up that week – one $125 ticket and two $150 tickets.
“I got those all in the time before I knew that thing was a speed camera. It was live without me knowing it was there and I truly got nailed.”
In an email to WTOP Traffic Reporter Dave Dildine, Chef Geoff writes, “Sign guy should stay Saturday thru next Friday. I bought 40 hours. Hope to save some folks some hard earned money.”
“I’m just encouraging people to slow down,” he says.
His advice for fellow drivers? “Just abide by the speed limit because it costs you a lot of money.”
Watch a video of the sign spinner in action:
The Foxhall Road camera is one of nine the Metropolitan Police Department added speed cameras in November.
The nine new cameras are in the following locations:
- 1900 block of Foxhall Road NW, north and southbound directions
- 2800 block of Calvert Street NW, eastbound
- 2300 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, southbound
- 100 block of Florida Avenue NW, east and westbound
- 4200 block of South Capitol SW, southbound
- 2300 block of Porter Street NW, east and westbound
- Canal Road NW .3 miles south of Arizona Avenue NW, north and southbound
- DC-295 NE at Benning Road overpass, northbound
- DC-295 SW .7 miles south of Exit 1, north and southbound
Here’s a map of their locations:
View D.C. unveils 9 new speed cameras in a larger map
WTOP’s Jamie Forzato contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.
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