The Arlington County board approved a program that will install traffic cameras in an effort to protect pedestrians and reduce police interactions.
Arlington County has voted to install speed cameras at locations near schools and construction zones as part of their Vision Zero efforts, reports Jo DeVoe. County Board Chair Katie Cristol said the policy would reduce police interactions and address safety concerns for pedestrians as well as reduce pressures on an understaffed police department.
The program became possible after Virginia passed a state law allowing speed cameras in 2020. The county says they are "reviewing best practices, crash data, equity concerns and other local factors to determine where to place the cameras."
According to DeVoe, the program will launch sometime in late 2022 or early 2023 and will—after an officer review—issue citations to drivers traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit. The article addresses concerns about data privacy (footage and documents are destroyed 60 days after resolution), penalties (first offenses will incur warnings, repeat offenders will be hit with $50 fines), and the potential future of the program. County officials are calling on the state to expand the locations where speed cameras can be used and allow municipalities to calculate fine amounts based on more factors such as how fast the driver was going, prior speeding citations, and income.
FULL STORY: County Board approves speed cameras in school, work zones
DC’s Traffic Cameras Are Working, but Not a Panacea
Automated enforcement is reducing speeding, but bigger changes to street design and the built environment are needed to make the District’s streets safer and more pleasant for people walking.
Iowa Outlaws Most Automated Speed Cameras
The Iowa Department of Transportation has rejected a majority of applications to continue speed camera programs in cities across the state based on a new state law that requires state-issued permits for automated traffic enforcement.
Study Assesses Attitudes on Traffic Cameras in Boston’s Black Communities
Residents are wary of the new technology’s potential for surveillance, but support boosting enforcement while reducing interaction with police.
The City of Broken Sidewalks
Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?
Shifts in Shopping: Transforming Malls Into Parks
Maybe zombie malls still have a second life — one with a little greenery.
To Build More Housing, Cities Must Be Smarter in How They Use Land
How strategic land use policy decisions can alleviate the housing crisis and limit unsustainable sprawl.
Parking Reform Can Boost Homebuilding 40 to 70 Percent
More evidence that parking flexibility is key to housing abundance.
California Adds Complete Streets to Transportation Funding Guidelines
The state transportation commission previously declined to include bike and pedestrian infrastructure in its updated funding guidelines, despite a new state law requiring Complete Streets efforts in all Caltrans projects.
Omaha Streetcar Yielding $1.5 Billion in TIF Funds
The line, scheduled for completion in 2027, is bringing billions in new investment to the city’s urban core.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Prescott
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
Village of Glen Ellyn
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
CORP - COnsulting Research Projects
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport
Rockdale County Board of Commissioners