Richmond Safety Camera Program

Safety Camera on the Semmes Avenue median

Safety Camera device 

Safety Camera Program

One of the key objectives of the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan is to improve the safety of people who walk, roll and bike across streets within school zones regardless of their age or ability. In addition, the City seeks to eliminate speeding on City streets. The likelihood that a crash will kill or severely injure a person increases exponentially as speed increases. A strategy to meet these objectives is to implement the Safety Camera Program in active school zones to slow down people who drive too quickly and better protect people who are outside the vehicle. According to the United States Department of Transportation, these safety cameras can reduce crashes by over 50 percent.

Civil penalties collected from the Safety Camera program will be placed in a special fund called the Vision Zero Action Plan Fund to be applied to first sustaining the Safety Camera Program and second implementing the strategies set forth in the Vision Zero Action Plan.

Safety Camera Locations

The locations of the safety cameras are based on the school’s proximity to the City’s High Injury Street Network, which is the subset of roadways in the City where there are higher number of traffic related crashes causing fatalities and serious injuries.

Four safety cameras are being deployed on a pilot basis within the following active school zones:

• Site A: Linwood Holton Elementary School
  
  • Northbound Hermitage Road
  • Westbound Laburnum Avenue
• Site B: Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts
  
  • Eastbound Semmes Avenue
  • Westbound Semmes Avenue

At each location, warning signs will be posted indicating that safety cameras are present and operational to monitor vehicles traveling 11MPH or more over the posted school zone speed limit. A warning period of 30 days will be in effect once the cameras are in operation where warnings will be issued to the vehicle owner traveling 11MPH or more. After the 30-day warning period, the vehicle owner shall be liable for a monetary civil penalty imposed. Evidence is reviewed by the Richmond Police Department before citations are issued.

Safety Camera Ordinance

As enabled by the Code of Virginia § 46.2-882.1, the Code of the City of Richmond, Article V, Section 27-132 covers the penalties associated with the Safety Cameras:

The operator of a vehicle shall be liable for a monetary civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section if such vehicle is found, as evidenced by information obtained from a photo speed monitoring device, to be traveling at speeds of at least 11 miles per hour above the posted school crossing zone or highway work zone speed limit within such school crossing zone or highway work zone, while such zone is active. Such civil penalties shall be imposed on the following basis: (i) for speeds at least 11 miles per hour above the posted speed limit, or within the first 30 days of the first violation, the civil penalty shall be $50.00; (ii) for all subsequent violations after the first 30 days after the first violation, the civil penalty shall be $100.00.

Complementary Efforts

Along with the Safety Camera Program, the City is taking additional actions to manage speeds on city streets. This actions include a multi-departmental approach:

• Implementing changes to the built environment using Vision Zero principles and a complete streets approach including:
  
  • The construction of speed tables
  • The implementation of traffic calming measures with additional crossing enhancements for people who walk, roll, or ride transit.
  • The improvement of streets using roadway conversions to prioritize transit, making crossing streets easier for people walking and rolling.
  • The installation of pedestrian hybrid beacons for people crossing multi-lane streets.
  • The reallocation of street space using roadway conversions to provide quick build bike infrastructure using the City’s resurfacing program making crossing streets easier for people walking, rolling, and biking.
  • The construction of accessible sidewalks with pedestrian countdown signals and high visibility crosswalks to transit stops.
  • The conversion of intersections into modern roundabouts.
• Retiming traffic signals to encourage following the speed limit and creating a wait at the next red light for people that elect to speed.
• Engaging the public on developing safety culture through its Speed Management Symposiums.
• Lowering all speed limits on city-maintained streets to a maximum of 35 mph, except for one regional freeway at 45 mph.
• Launching public service announcements including one to encourage slowing down to a stop for people crossing the street.

Additional Resources

Vision Zero Action Plan

Speed Safety Cameras | FHWA (dot.gov)

Contact Information

Department of Public Works

Information (804) 646-7000