School zone speed cameras are active in Orange County, but supervisors have questions.
Last month, the county began its 30-day warning period for new cameras in the school zones of Locust Grove Middle School, Locust Grove Elementary and Primary schools, Lightfoot Elementary School and Unionville Elementary School. For 30 days, violators–those moving 10mph or more over the posted school zone speed limit–are issued warnings instead of citations to help with adjusting to the camera-enforced school zones.
The cameras, installed through Altumint, Inc, a Maryland-based company, are an effort to deter speeding and make school zones safer for both drivers and students. After the warning period, violators will receive a citation in the mail with a $100 fine. The citations, which are verified by a local deputy before being mailed to the registered address of the owner’s vehicle, are civil penalties and do not affect a driver’s DMV record of insurance.
“We’re not wanting people to get citations,” sheriff Jason Smith said. “We’re wanting people to slow down.”
The speed cameras, including equipment and maintenance, are funded through the payment of the violations. No county funding is used. The program also includes increased signage to alert drivers of approaching camera enforced areas. However, the signage isn’t enough according to supervisors.
During the late March meeting, District 1 supervisor and board chairman Mark Johnson said he found the signage to be lacking, especially on Rt. 522.
“I would like for us to explore getting better signage out there to warn people,” he said. “I don’t know what can be done and what the rules are, but at least something that is big and bold and says there’s a reduced speed zone ahead, slow down. What’s there now is kind of sneaky.”
District 5 supervisor Bryan Nicol agreed.
“I had described likewise signage in a couple of places,” he said. “One of the signs is blocking the flashing sign, we need to look at it. We have new signs and then really old flashing signs at the schools. I personally think the signs need to be adjusted.”
Nicol said he’d like the county to replace the flashing signs and show a new set of markers with everything related.
Smith agreed, stating he’d like to see the flashing signs updated and has reached out to the school system to determine the next steps. He said he’s obtaining quotes to replace them, but estimates each sign is approximately $5,000. Lightfoot has the oldest signs and should be replaced first, he said, while Locust Grove Middle School has the newest.
However, he said the older signs are what was in the school zones before the installation of the new signs related to the speed cameras and the speeds have always been enforced. In those cases, violations were observed by deputies who wrote summonses, taking violators to court which then goes against a driver’s insurance.
District 3 supervisor Keith Marshall said folks will probably look at the cameras as a speed trap. He questioned if the threshold for triggering a violation could be increased.
Smith explained that the speeds in school zones are determined by law and while the threshold could be increased, 10mph is already a decent grace.
“It’s a school zone,” he said. “The idea is to reduce speeds in a school zone.”
Nicol suggested having VDOT look at the school zones and determine what can be done “to make a better situation for drivers while maintaining a safe school zone.”
“We want everything to be safe for drivers and kids,” he added.
The 30-day warning period is set to end April 23. Cameras were not installed in the school zones of Gordon-Barbour and Orange elementary schools and Orange County High School, which all have slower speed limits due to being within town limits.
