Map: Where Philadelphia is eyeing new speed cameras
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Expect more speed cameras to pop up around Philly in the coming years. Image: Courtesy of Vision Zero Philadelphia
Philadelphia lawmakers this week could green light a plan to add automated speed cameras to Broad Street.
Why it matters: Broad is one of Philly's most dangerous roads, and the technology has proven to significantly reduce speeding and crashes.
State of play: City Council has teed up a final vote on the proposal for Thursday.
- Speed cameras, if approved, could be set up on Broad Street and a portion of Old York Road in North Philly, designated State Route 611.
- It was the most dangerous roadway in Philly from 2018-2022, per the city.
What they're saying: Broad Street has the highest number of pedestrian fatalities, a spokesperson for Councilmember Mark Squilla, the main sponsor of the proposal, tells Axios.
How it works: The cameras use radar to detect vehicles traveling at least 11 miles per hour faster than the posted speed limit and snap photos of license plates to issue tickets between $100-$150.
- The Philadelphia Parking Authority has typically offered a grace period after installing new automated cameras elsewhere in the city.
Flashback: In June 2020, a pilot program installed automated speed cameras along parts of Roosevelt Boulevard — among Philly's most dangerous roads. Red-light cameras are also used there.
- Through 2022, speeding violations in the area plummeted 95% and crashes involving pedestrians declined by half compared to before the cameras were installed, per latest city data.
The big picture: The Broad Street plan is part of a state law approved late last year that allows Philadelphia to make the Roosevelt Boulevard speed camera program permanent, and install cameras on up to five more corridors.
Mayor Cherelle Parker is already eyeing four other corridors to install the technology:
- Parts of State Route 13, including Baltimore and Hunting Park avenues, Roosevelt Boulevard and Frankford Avenue
- Allegheny Avenue (SR 2016)
- Chestnut and Walnut streets west of Broad Street (SR 3)
- Penrose, Bartram and Moyamensing avenues (SR 291)
The caveat: Each new area would require separate legislation to install speed cameras.
Zoom in: Most people living along the five corridors where speed cameras are proposed are members of marginalized communities, per a city report.
- Plus: Most traveling on those roads are commuters.
The intrigue: Thousands of drivers are thwarting the Roosevelt cameras by illegally obscuring their license plates.
- As a result, more than 34,900 violations weren't enforced from March 2022 to February 2023, per the most recent report on the camera program.
What to watch: The Parker administration plans to consult with state officials and the city's parking authority on the final placement of the cameras on Broad Street.