Baltimore Spending Board Approves Placing Speed Cameras Along Jones Falls Expressway
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Attention all drivers: get ready to slow down! Baltimore City is adding two new Speed cameras along the Jones Falls Expressway starting at the county-city line.
"Excessive speed was the number one contributing factor for the high injury and severe crashes," said Adrea Turner.
Baltimore's spending board approved the plan Wednesday.
"Get 83 safer as fast as humanly possible," said Mayor Brandon Scott.
There will be six cameras along the corridor -- two active -- the others alerting drivers of their speed.
"We really want people to know they're speeding," said Steve Sharkey, Director, Baltimore Department of Transportation.
"You always see people get crazy fast on the expressway," said Raphael.
For Raphael, watching cars whizz past him is a regular experience on the JFX.
"When I see people drive erratically, I always think that where are the police when you need them and now these cameras are the police when you need them," Raphael added.
But not everyone agrees.
"There's a lot of things that could happen that would make you speed up or slow down and you can't explain it to a camera," said one driver.
The city stands to make millions.
"The income to be $15 to $20 million a year," said Sharkey.
Some of that money will be shared with the operating company American Traffic Solutions.
This comes after a one-week test period. Cameras placed on the expressway near the Pepsi sign showed thousands of speeding drivers.
"There was 150,000 potential citations in a seven-day period," said Nick Mosby.
"During this time the highest recorded speed was 173 miles per hour," said Turner.
City officials say there will be a 90 day grace period along with lots of notices and signs once the cameras are up.