Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill on Friday to allow the installation of speed cameras along the entire length of Roosevelt Boulevard.
Gov. Tom Wolf on Friday signed a bill that will allow for speed cameras to be installed on Roosevelt Boulevard from 9th Street in Hunting Park to the Bucks County line as part of a five-year pilot program.
Once the cameras are set up, drivers who travel 11 miles over the speed limit or more will be ticketed. There will be a 30-day grace period during which violators will get a written warning.
Drivers caught speeding will be issued a warning for a first offense. The second ticket will be for $75, and a third offense will carry a $150 fine. Violators will not receive points on their driving record.
Mayor Jim Kenney and safety advocates praised the legislation and said it will make the Boulevard safer.
“Our city and our families deserve safer streets,” Kenney said. “With around 100 people being killed in traffic crashes on Philadelphia streets every year, we are committed to continuing to bring to together street design, education, enforcement and policy changes that will manage speeds and, thus, save lives, making Philadelphia streets safe for everyone.”
Although the bill had bipartisan support in Harrisburg, not everyone supports speed cameras. The National Motorists Association has argued that the cameras are a money-making scheme for state and local governments.
As part of the pilot program, signs will be placed near the cameras and at two-mile intervals along the entire length of the Boulevard.
The speed camera program will be operated by the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
City Council has to pass an ordinance for the pilot program to go into effect, according to the Governor’s Office.
The bill signed by Wolf also calls for speed cameras in work zones around the state. ••
Jack Tomczuk can be reached at [email protected]
