Arlington County Authorizes Speed Cameras

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.