Law would authorize speed cameras around schools

Judge calls it ‘cash cow’; parents hope Allentown Road will be safer

More than 60,000 motorists use Allentown Road every day and 14 people have died on the road since 2000, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.

One of the more notable accidents was four years ago, when 29-year-old Taura Lloyd and her 8-year-old daughter were hit as they crossed the road in front of Isaac J. Gourdine. The woman died at the scene after she was hit by one car and hit again by a second car traveling in the opposite direction, according to police. Her 8-year-old daughter, a Tayac Elementary student, suffered a broken arm and broken leg.

Del. Barbara A, Frush (D-Dist 21) of Beltsville, leader of the Prince George’s delegation, said a state bill sponsored by Maggie McIntosh (D-Dist. 43) of Baltimore City for installing speed cameras on school grounds is likely to be passed during this year’s General Assembly session, which started Wednesday.

Even if that bill fails to get out of committee, Del. Justin D. Ross (D-Dist. 22) of Greenbelt and Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Dist. 22) of University Park are sponsoring a local bill to have cameras installed within a half-mile of schools in Prince George’s County. Drivers found going 10 mph or more over the speed limit would be subject to a $40 fine.

Ross said the bill has been drafted, and he expects it to come up before the House this month.

‘‘I think there’s a great concern that people are driving too quickly everywhere, but particularly near schools,” Ross said.

Overriding a veto from former governor Robert L. Ehrlich (R) in 2006, the Democratic-controlled legislature voted to launch a Safe Speed enforcement pilot program last year in Montgomery County.

The pilot program, which kicked off in March last year, enforced speed limits of 35 mph or less in residential areas and school and church zones. The new cameras were first installed in vans, but later were mounted on school grounds.

The pilot program in Montgomery County uses 30 cameras with 16 more cameras in the city of Rockville. At one site near Wheaton High School, a speed camera van captured nearly 50 incidents per hour of drivers — or $2,000 in fines per hour — according to reports. Cameras also are used in Gaithersburg and Chevy Chase.

‘‘It has worked well,” Frush said.

Rockville police chief T.N. Treschuk said there is a contractual agreement between the City of Rockville and the vendor for costs associated with the citation processing. For each $40 citation, he said, the city receives $23.75 and the vendor receives $16.25.

There was no initial cost to taxpayers for installing the cameras in Montgomery County, Treschuk said.

‘‘The speed cameras have helped to slow vehicles down in and around the school zones,” Treschuk said.

Ron Watson, who recently was elected vice chairman of Prince George’s County Board of Education, said diverting some part of the fines to help the school system could be a good idea.

‘‘The schools can use some of those fines,” Watson said.

Rick Abbruzzese, press secretary to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D), said he knew of the governor’s push for speed cameras around construction zones, but was not aware of any move for cameras in school zones.

‘‘The governor will look at both of the bills [including the one about speed cameras at school zones] in the Senate and the House of Delegates,” Abbruzzese said.

Administrative Judge William D. Missouri of the Prince George’s County Circuit Court said the court has reservations about the speed cameras law.

‘‘The judiciary had a little concern that the speed cameras would be used as a cash cow as opposed to ensuring public safety,” Missouri said. ‘‘The understanding was that Montgomery County would have a smaller number of events [of speeding] and they suspected many more events in Prince George’s County.”

Suzanne Delaney, a staffer at the Maryland Judiciary Legislative Committee, said the committee reviews upcoming legislation for at least a week before the actual hearing in the house.

‘‘We review bills that affect the judiciary and decide if we are going to support the bill, oppose the bill or take no stand,” Delaney said.

Missouri said the judiciary’s legislative committee will review the pilot program in Montgomery County in the upcoming weeks.

‘‘If it turns out it has worked well, Prince George’s County will be put back in the mix,” he said.

Del. Jay Walker (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington agrees the situation along Allentown Road is precarious. ‘‘I would like to think there would be push from Prince George’s County to have this bill passed,” Walker said. ‘‘You have got a road where in a less-than-2-mile radius, you have thousands of children threatened by speeding motorists. You’ve got to have those cameras installed.”

Tia Stephens, president of Gourdine Middle School’s PTSA, was supportive of the speed cameras initiative.

‘‘I am concerned about the speeding,” Stephens said. ‘‘Especially with the winter months and the icy conditions, we are more concerned than ever.”