Fairfax County to expand speed camera program to other school zones

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. ( DC News Now ) — A dozen schools in Fairfax County are next in line for speed cameras after the county said the first round of monitoring has effectively slowed down drivers.

The county is expanding the program to 10 other locations:

1. Belvedere Elementary School
2. Cardinal Forest Elementary School
3. Chantilly High School
4. Edison High School
5. Flint Hill Elementary School/Madison High School (Shared)
6. Marshall High School
7. McLean High School
8. Mount Vernon High School/Riverside Elementary School (Shared)
9. Robinson Secondary School/Oak View Elementary School (Shared)
10. Stone Middle School

In addition, it said 40 additional cameras will be installed throughout 2024.

Fairfax County started the pilot program in February 2023 at several schools, and new data shows it saw results.

Pre-pilot average speeds at various school locations were frequently in the low-to-mid-30s, while post-pilot speeds were often in the mid-20s.

One speed camera near South County High School in Lorton found the average speed dipped from 33.68 pre-pilot to 24.49 post-pilot. While the average speed near that camera was up in February 2024 to 29.2 miles per hour, some people still said that was a noteworthy difference.

“Before the cameras, there were a lot more speeders,” said Wesley Calayag, a father of three including a South County Middle School student Christian.

Christian told DC News Now he favors the cameras because the streets near schools need to be safe.

“I have a dream, and that’s to be pro at tennis,” he said. “I’m not ending that off getting hit by a car.”

Data from the county indicates that the majority (71%) of the roughly 25,000 issued citations were for drivers going between 10-14 miles per hour over the speed limit, and most of them were prepaid without going to court.

Not everyone is on board with the program, including Mike Dennis — a father and Lorton resident who questions the camera’s necessity.

“We look out for each other and we feel like it’s an invasion,” he said. “Does it really make a difference? Or, is it really worth it?”

However, the county hopes the program can work in practice and messaging.

“You got lots of kids walking and crossing the street,” Calayag said. “So just for that safety, I think it’s important.”

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