Arlington County Launches School Zone Speed Safety Camera Program

Arlington County is preparing for the upcoming school year with a new transportation safety tool designed to deter speeding, reduce the likelihood of severe crashes, and improve overall safety within our school zones. Arlington County’s PhotoSPEED program is launching at the start of the 2024-25 academic year with 10 new speed safety cameras in Arlington school zones.

PhotoSPEED cameras will be installed at the following locations:

• NB 1300 block of N. Kirkwood Road
• WB 5800 block of Wilson Boulevard
• SB 400 block of N. George Mason Drive
• SB 600 block of S. Carlin Springs Road
• SB Unit block of S. Carlin Springs Road
• SB 1900 block of S. George Mason Drive
• NB 1900 block of S George Mason Drive
• SB 1200 block of S. George Mason Drive
• EB 4500 block of Washington Boulevard
• EB 5200 block of Yorktown Boulevard

The speed limit at these school zone locations is 20 MPH while the lights on the speed limit signs are flashing. Warning signs are posted 1,000 feet in advance of each speed safety camera.There will be a warning period designed to help raise public awareness about the new safety camera locations and encourage driver compliance with posted speed limits. The warning period for these new cameras will be August 26 – September 24, 2024. Tickets for violations at these locations will be issued beginning September 25, 2024. At the conclusion of the warning period, speed zone violators will be issued a $100 ticket (civil fine) per infraction to the vehicle’s registered owner.

PhotoSPEED Program Information
Arlington County identified school zone locations within the county that would most benefit from automated safety devices in accordance with the County’s Vision Zero strategy. PhotoSPEED locations were then selected using safety data sources. These school zones will be actively reviewed and assessed by County staff to evaluate the safety impacts of the cameras and guide the development and future of the PhotoSPEED program.

Speed safety cameras are operational when the school zone lights are flashing during school arrival and departure. The cameras take digital images and video footage of vehicles traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. The contracted company reviews and validates the footage before sending it to the Arlington County Police Department. An officer then reviews the footage captured by the system and events that are determined to be a speed violation result in a ticket.

PhotoSPEED Program Background
In 2020, Virginia enacted legislation to allow speed safety cameras in school and work zones. County agencies collaborated to develop a proposal to bring speed cameras to Arlington’s school zones in accordance with state requirements. The County Board adopted the proposed changes to County Code in January 2022.

PhotoSPEED is part of Arlington County’s Automated Safety Enforcement Program and supports the County’s ongoing Vision Zero Transportation Safety Program efforts and the Police Department’s key initiative of Transportation Safety.