As has been reported already, speed cameras are on their way to Centreville.
While the ordinance may have been passed with little fanfare or opposition, since people have become aware of it, opposition has begun to mount to the idea.
This writer has been a part of that opposition, jointly submitting a letter to the Bay Times and Record Observer highlighting several problematic aspects of the ordinance along with the generally problematic nature of speed cameras and government reliance on them.
To quickly re-cap the problems noted in the letter, Centreville will be using RedSpeed, a contractor the town of Trappe hired to run their speed camera program with and then terminated said contract with in just a year citing an unfriendly appeals process and a belief that it wasn’t the kind of thing they wanted in their town.
Additionally, and much more problematically, RedSpeed will receive a cut of each ticket that gets issued for speeding. This is seemingly in direct violation of state law which states:
Since submitting that letter I and others have continued to research the issue and at least one more problem with the ordinance appears to have cropped up.
The ordinance establishes school zones in which the cameras can be placed and operated. This is allowed and is in fact required under state law to place speed cameras.
However, the wording is of great concern. From the ordinance:
§ 154-32. School Zones.
Subject to compliance with all applicable provisions of Section 21-803.1 of the Transportation
Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, the Town Council of Centreville hereby establishes
the following roads as School Zones:(A) Queen Anne’s County High School Zone:
All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville and within a halfmile radius of Queen Anne’s County High School, which is located at 125 Ruthsburg Road,
Centreville, Maryland the location and radius of which is depicted on Exhibit A attached hereto.(B) Centreville Middle School Zone:
All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville and within a halfmile radius of Centreville Middle School, which is located at 231 Ruthsburg Road, Centreville,
Maryland, the location and radius of which is depicted on Exhibit A attached hereto.(C) Kennard Elementary School Zone:
All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville and within a halfmile radius of Centreville Elementary School, which is located at 420 Little Kidwell Avenue,
Centreville, Maryland, the location and radius of which is depicted on Exhibit A attached hereto.(D) Centreville Elementary School Zone:
All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville and within a halfmile radius of Centreville Elementary School, which is located at 213 Homewood Avenue,
Centreville, Maryland, the location and radius of which is depicted on Exhibit A attached hereto.(E) Queen Anne’s County Board of Education School Zone:
All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville and within a halfmile radius of the Queen Anne’s County Board of Education, which is located at 202
Chesterfield Avenue, Centreville, Maryland, the location and radius of which is depicted on
Exhibit A attached hereto.(F) The Wye River Upper School Zone:
All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville and within a halfmile radius of The Wye River Upper School, which is located at 316 South Commerce Street,
Centreville, Maryland, the location and radius of which is depicted on Exhibit A attached hereto.
The map above is something I roughed up showing the half mile radius from each school described. For those interested, here is the Exhibit A referenced, but it only shows the amalgamated mass of zones, not the individual radii.
And it’s those radii that are important. In and of themselves, they are not particularly objectionable. However, the ordinance also designates “All public roads located within the corporate limits of the Town of Centreville” as part of every zone.”
That’s a pretty big problem as the state law allowing the creation of school zones, which the ordinance references as the source of the town’s power to create the zones, explicitly states:
(a) (1) Subject to subsection (f) of this section, within a half–mile radius of any school, the State Highway Administration or a local authority:
(i) May establish a school zone and maximum speed limits applicable in the school zone
Now compare those radii with this map showing the boundaries of the Town of Centreville.
As is clearly visible, not a single one of these radii covers the entire town. For that matter, not even all of the radii together cover the entire town.
I don’t see anyway that the Council’s decision to include all public roads in Centreville is anything but a violation of state law, making that at least two different ways that the speed camera ordinance rests on very questionable footing.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the Centreville Town Council made the decision to implement with speed cameras with the best of intentions. But it seems equally clear that they were operating from the mindset of “Something has to be done and this is something so let’s do it.”
The multiple components that run counter to state law scream that this ordinance was not properly considered or researched when prepared and was just rushed through. The people of Centreville and Queen Anne’s County deserve serious deliberation on policy matters like this, not hasty, slip-shod legislation of questionable benefit.
Lainey Harrison says
Speeding is illegal and nobody seems to care until it is your child run over by a speeding car. Personally I like the speed cameras, folks slow down once they know about the cameras. I dont see them as some big “money grab”, I dont see them as some huge infringement on my rights.
Kevin Waterman says
Lainey,
While there’s a strong instinctual belief that speeding is a large contributor to traffic accidents, it isn’t supported by the data that’s out there.
I didn’t bring it up in this article (although it is in the letter to the local papers I mentioned) but it has been found before that speeding and red-light running together only account for 8% of all traffic accidents.
Also of interest is that in Australia the government was forced to shut down its traffic cameras and traffic safety actually improved; fatal accidents declined by 34% and non-fatal incidents declined by 14%. My personal theory on that is that distracted driving is the real killer and when cameras are active people only modify their behaviour where they think cameras will be and are distracted by their efforts to spot the cameras and minimize their need to change driving patterns.
Something else I’ve noted in discussions with members of the Town Council is that history has shown governments that bring in speed cameras quickly become addicted to the revenue they generate. In DC for example, when ticket revenue started going down, instead of celebrating people driving more safely, the city decided to put out more cameras and upped the dollar amount of the ticket. The current town council is better than that, but can we trust future town councils to be of the same high standard?
Lainey Harrison says
I agree with you that distracted driving is the real killer. Do you agree with me that most speeders are not paying attention to either the speed limits or thier own speed? Its just another thing the driver is not paying mind to…..OOPS! What is that kid doing in front of me! SCRREEECCCHHH, ugh, i hate that burnt rubber smell, OH CRAP, someone call 911…..being a statistic sucks.
Kevin Waterman says
I suspect in most cases they aren’t being particularly attentive to the speed limit or what their own speeds are (in terms of absolutes, I think most people are fairly attentive to their speed relative the flow of traffic).
However, I haven’t seen any evidence that suggests that kind of inattention has noteworthy correlation to accidents happening. The real issue is distractions like cellphones, kids, etc. I’m relatively confident that the presence of cameras would be a distraction in this category, one that takes people’s attention away from driving and on to spotting cameras.
Also an interesting point in that vein, the presence of red-light cameras almost universally leads to a net increase in car collisions (decrease in t-bone crashes offset by a larger increase in rear-end collisions). Obviously slightly different than speed cameras, but an important consideration I would think.
joe diamond says
As this plan goes in I predict:
HS parents will go nuts as the speed tickets hit the mailboxes.
The school busses will again be full as parents grab back the car keys.
IF traffic does slow to a crawl it will just be the final needed reason to skip going through Centreville.
Joe
Lainey Harrison says
I guess my biggest issue with the entire speed camera debate is this: speeding is illegal. Why are you defending the law breakers? If you have a problem with the speed limit, change that law. Quit all the bellyaching about the method of enforcement. Solution is real simple – obey the speed limit. I for one will be thrilled to slow down the teenagers blasting thru town. Their parents might just take the kids keys away when they start getting tickets in the mail. If you cant drive responsibly, get off the road. Driving is a privilege, not a right. The speed cameras are only a distraction for those who knowingly and willingly violate the speed limits. I have never been distracted by a speed camera and never will. There are ZERO dollars coming out of my budget for speeding tickets. I try to obey the speed limits or out on Rt 50, not be a hazard to others while keeping up with the flow. I sit on my community HOA board. We are flooded with calls to have the Sherriff bring his little speed camera trailer to our street. Most of those complaining about the speeders are parents of young children. The teenagers and thier friends are the ones speeding. Dont do the CRIME if you cant pay the FINE!
joe diamond says
Hey Lainey,
You do see the difference between a prediction and a defense?
The other point from all this is……..even for a speeding ticket Americans have a right to confront their accuser…hear evidence…and present a defense.
Howyagonnadodat with a machine? And how ya gonna trust a machine sent by a company who gets paid for each ticket? MD already has a law about that.
This thing is a tool and it needs to be monitored and adjusted from time to time.
Joe
gerry maynes says
It has little to do with speading and everything to do with the C HACHING sound of the register. This pack of bone heads just wants a new stream of revenue. It doesent Mater how far traffic gets backed up or how it will destroy business in the middle of town as long as the council hears CHACHING pure and simple,. Just vote these dopes outbrefore they can causer any mpre harm