Mark Segraves, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – One of the most notorious speed cameras in the District is gone.
The stationary speed cam in the 1900 block of Foxhall Road NW issued tens of thousands of tickets and was made famous by celebrity chef Geoff Tracy after he launched a Twitter protest against the camera.
Tracy received $425 in fines in just one week after the camera was installed in January. In addition to his virtual protest, Tracy, who also is the husband of CBS White House Correspondent Norah O’Donnell, hired a sign carrier to warn drivers about the camera.
But the camera remained in place across from the German embassy, issuing more than 20,000 fines in just one month. Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier, who is unapologetic about the use of photo enforcement, thanked Tracy for raising public awareness and urged him to be a more cautious driver.
“The goal is to have people slow down out there. If he’s going to help me slow down people there, I’m all for it,” Lanier said on WTOP.
“I hope he slows down,” Lanier added.
As of last week, the speed camera disappeared. All that remains is a concrete pad and a few wires coming out of the ground.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Department says the camera was relocated to South Dakota Avenue NE because of construction along Foxhall Road.
The camera isn’t gone for good. Police plan to install a new one along a different stretch of Foxhall Road in the near future.
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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
