Table of Contents
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Alexandria will resume school zone speed camera enforcement Aug. 24, the first day of school for most Alexandria City Public Schools students, the city said Monday.
The cameras will begin automatically issuing citations to drivers who speed in the six monitored zones. The city will test the school zone flashers and camera systems on Friday, Aug. 21, and residents may see the flashers operating during normal weekday hours. No citations will be issued during the test.
Cameras are in place at Alexandria City High School's King Street campus on King Street between Quaker Lane and Scroggins Road; the school's Minnie Howard campus on Braddock Road between Marlee Way and Marlboro Drive; William Ramsay Elementary School on North Beauregard Street between North Morgan Street and Roanoke Avenue; Francis Hammond Middle School on Seminary Road between Kenmore Avenue and North Jordan Street; John Adams and Ferdinand T. Day elementary schools on North Beauregard Street between North Highview Lane and Reading Avenue; and George Washington Middle School on Mount Vernon Avenue between Braddock Road and Luray Avenue.
Each zone runs about a quarter mile with a 15 mph limit when the school signs are flashing, which is when the cameras are active. The cameras also enforce the midday school zone limits at the two Alexandria City High School campuses while students move between them.
Cameras record violations by radar and photograph only the rear of the vehicle. A sworn officer must affirm a violation before a citation is mailed to the vehicle's owner, lessee or renter. The maximum fine is $100 under the Code of Virginia. The violations are not moving violations, so no points are assessed and they do not affect insurance rates.
Drivers can pay online at violationinfo.com, by mail or by phone at 1-866-790-4111. Those who dispute a citation may submit an affidavit of non-liability or non-operation, or request a hearing.
Virginia authorized speed cameras in school and work zones in 2020, and City Council approved Alexandria's program as part of the fiscal 2023 budget. The city says it selected locations after a feasibility assessment weighing crash history, traffic volumes, vehicle speeds, and the age and number of students, with the locations agreed on by ACPS, the Police Department and the Department of Transportation & Environmental Services.
The city ties the program to its Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatal and severe crashes by 2028 and cites U.S. Department of Transportation research finding speed cameras can reduce crashes by more than 50 percent. It also says automated enforcement frees traffic officers for other duties.
More information is at alexandriava.gov/go/3785. Questions can be directed to Alex311.
Ryan Belmore is the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief, Alexandria's independent daily community news source. Send news, tips, and feedback to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
The Alexandria Brief runs solely on reader support — no ads, no corporate owner. Become a monthly or annual supporter or make a one-time contribution.
6,200+ Alexandria neighbors get The Alexandria Brief free in their inbox every weekday morning. Subscribe here.
