Crosswalk at Roosevelt Elementary School entrance. Photo by Leah Burdick.
The proposal would require officials to reinvest the city’s portion of the revenue into safety improvements within those school zones.
Currently, for every 100-dollar-speeding ticket in a school zone, the city of Tampa receives about $39 dollars.
These funds pay for the operation of those speed cameras and public safety projects.
For community member Emily Hinsdale that term is too vague. She says the funds could pay for anything from downtown parking to new police stations.
“It is not a phrase that will ensure these funds are spent on children’s safety going to school,” she said at the recent meeting. “These funds must be used to administer speed detection systems in school zones. And on infrastructure enhancements like sidewalks, crosswalks, crossing lights, ADA compliant intersections, and speed reduction designs around schools. Let’s keep our eye on the ball here.”
Council member Bill Carlson argued in favor of the ordinance.
“The short justification is if somebody gets a ticket going through the speed zone that means they already put lives at danger. So, this will spend money to make sure that people are not putting lives in danger.”
These petitions come as a study from RedSpeed, the operator behind the cameras, identified serious speeding infractions in 18 of the 31 school zones selected for improvement by the Tampa Police Department.
The final vote for the proposal will be in November.