Rome City Schools To Consider Speed Camera At West Central

On Tuesday, the Rome Board of Education will consider installing a speed camera at West Central Elementary following parent and citizen complaints of speeding on Lavender Drive.

This isn’t the first time police have suggested placing a RedSpeed camera outside of the elementary school. Rome Police Department Chief Denise Downer-McKinney said the company conducted a traffic study in 2023 and provided the department with the results.

The study showed that during the morning commute hours, 44% of the traffic on Lavender Drive exceeded the speed limit by 10 mph. During the evening commute, when kids are leaving school, 52% of the traffic on Lavender Drive was 10 mph above the speed limit.

Another issue is the number of students who walk to school from the nearby neighborhoods.

“We have a ton of kids who walk to school at West Central,” Rome City Schools Superintendent Eric Holland said.

The board will have a pre-meeting caucus at 4 p.m. during which McKinney will present the study’s findings and make a recommendation to the board.

The board meeting then starts at 5:45 after the caucus. The board will vote on whether or not to approve the installation of a speed camera during the meeting.

Holland stated that many of the board members have had questions about what the school system will gain from the speed camera and how it will benefit the school system. He hopes to gain clarity on this from McKinney during the meeting.

RedSpeed cameras have already been installed in two Rome City school zones. The first was installed in August 2021 near Rome High School and Rome Middle School along Veterans Memorial Highway. The second was installed on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard near Main Elementary in October 2023.

RedSpeed cameras issue tickets for speeding during school traffic hours. 65% of the revenue goes to the Rome Police Department, and the remaining 35% goes to the RedSpeed company. The funds the police department receives can only be used for public safety measures.

The Rome School Board will vote on the issue during the Tuesday, July 9, board meeting. This meeting will be held at the Rome City Schools College and Career Academy on Veterans Memorial Highway.