Coming soon to a thoroughfare near you – Arlington aims to install speed-monitoring cameras that will spit out $50 citations to offenders.
During their brief majority in the General Assembly, Democrats in 2020 amended state law to allow localities to use electronic speed-monitoring devices in work zones and school zones. To get a ticket in the mail, one must be going more than 10 mph above the posted speed limit.
(Of course, what the General Assembly giveth, the General Assembly can taketh away, but it seems unlikely rescinding this measure will be a major priority of the new Republican majority in the House of Delegates, particularly with Democrats still holding onto a slim, but serviceable, majority in the state Senate.)
Board members on Dec. 11 are slated to set a Jan. 22 public hearing on the matter, one that likely is all but a pro-forma step on the way to adopting the measure. The county manager has recommended a $50 ticket cost, but state law allows County Board members to go up to $100 if they desire.
In comments sure to displease those in the county’s public-safety ranks (more than they currently are), the county manager’s staff report on the item suggests that going to electronic monitoring will aid in “reducing or eliminating the possibility of race-and ethnicity-based disparities in traffic enforcement.”
The estimated cost of purchasing and maneuvering 10 portable speed-monitoring set-ups throughout the county is estimated at $600,000 a year, and county officials believe that increased numbers of tickets being issued will cover the cost.