The first of Chesterfield’s planned speed enforcement cameras around 13 county schools went live this week.
Why it matters: After a 30-day grace period, which began Monday, the cameras around Moseley Elementary (near the Metro Richmond Zoo) will begin automatically issuing tickets to speeders.
The big picture: Chesterfield announced the speed enforcement cameras late last year, noting that drivers going 10 miles per hour or more over the speed limit in active school zones had become a “significant issue” in the county.
- The county’s speed enforcement cameras are similar to the ones Richmond launched last year: Violations are electronically recorded and citations are mailed to the offender.
- Offenders in Chesterfield will be fined $100 per offense (Richmond’s fine is $50 for the first violation, $100 thereafter) for anyone going 10 miles per hour or more over the posted limit (the city allows 11mph).
- Like Richmond’s, Chesterfield’s cameras are only active before and after school and when school is in session — but Chesterfield’s are only live for an hour before and an hour after school (Richmond’s are live for two hours before school and another two after).
What’s next: While the Moseley Elementary camera went live in early January, cameras around 12 other Chesterfield schools should be installed “within the next 6 months,” Chesterfield police spokesperson Liz Caroon tells Axios…