Newest speed cameras near Richmond schools to start ticketing drivers in October

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The grace period for speeding violations at the newest safety camera locations near Richmond schools will end in October.

According to the Richmond Police Department, starting Tuesday, Oct. 1, nine new locations will enforce violations if drivers go over the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour:

• Huguenot High School, 7900 block of Forest Hill Avenue
• Lucille Brown Middle School, 6300 block of Jahnke Road
• Mary Munford Elementary School, 4500 block of Grove Avenue
• McClenney Elementary School, 3800 block of Chamberlayne Avenue
• MLK, Jr. Middle School, 1000 block of Mosby Street
• River City Middle School, 6300 block of Hull Street Road
• Swansboro Elementary School, 3160 block of Midlothian Turnpike
• Thomas Boushall Middle School, 3400 block of Hopkins Road
• Westover Hills Elementary School, 1200 block of Jahnke Road

According to police, the Safety Camera Program launched at two locations near Linwood Holton Elementary School — located at West Laburnum Avenue and Hermitage Road — and Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts — located at Semmes Avenue — in March 2024.

Both locations have mailed out 13,298 speeding tickets since it started.

Department of Public Works Program Manager Andy Boenau said the goal is to eliminate speeding on city streets –particularly within active school zones.

“Speed is a city-wide problem, but especially around young kids coming in and out of school,” Boenau said. “Of all the places that you should be driving carefully, it’s around a school with young kids.”

Boenau said his department will continue expanding safety measures with road configurations like bus and bike priority lanes. But he also said drivers behind the wheel need to do their part to keep streets safe.

“This is about changing culture,” Boenau said. “One way to do that is to incentivize people to drive carefully by fining them if they choose to speed. This whole program is about managing vehicular speed so that — whether a person is driving in a different car, or somebody is walking or riding a bicycle, or it’s a child coming in and out of school — that their life is saved.”

First time violations will be $50, followed by $100 for each subsequent violation.

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