Officials: Albuquerque speed cameras effective in slowing drivers down

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Two years into the speed camera experience and nearly a quarter-of-a-million tickets later, the City of Albuquerque said the data proves those cameras are making safer city streets. Two years later, there’s a good chance by now you’ve seen at least one of Albuquerque’s 20 speed cameras.

“It was a step taken out of necessity because speeding was so bad from all demographics that there was no way we could enforce our way with officers out of that challenge,” said Mayor Tim Keller for the City of Albuquerque.

So how effective are the city’s cameras? New data indicates the number of drivers going ten miles or more over the speed limit, has dropped by 42 to 90 percent depending on the camera. Over 223,000 violations have been issued since the program started.

“We’re seeing drivers slowdown in places where we have speed safety cameras. So, we’ve seen between a point-3 and an 8.3-mile per hour decrease in average driver speed,” said Valerie Hermanson, Public Works Strategic Program Manager for the city of Albuquerque.

But are drivers slowing down when they’re passing a camera? Monday on Coors near Paseo del Norte, KRQE News 13 saw some drivers speeding up in places the camera isn’t watching. Police said officers will still set up speed traps near cameras.

“If we know that individuals are speeding in an area and slowing down for a camera and then continuing to speed up again, they conduct operations they know where that’s happening,” said Deputy Chief Cecily Barker, Albuquerque Police Department.

The money they collect from citations is used to pay for the program. Half of the funds go to the state and the remaining goes to fund traffic safety improvements.

“The goal is not to catch unsuspecting drivers, it’s to improve safety for all roadway users,” said Hermanson.

Some of those funds are being used to pay for improvements on Louisiana soon which is looking to add three mid-block crossings and change striping to add bike lanes. The city also has plans to install at least 20 more speed cameras across town starting next year meaning Albuquerque could have up to 40 cameras.

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