ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Five speed cameras could soon be up and running in Alexandria, Virginia. The Alexandria City Council met Tuesday night for the first reading of the ordinance.
The speed cameras will be placed in school and work zones. The exact locations haven't been announced yet, but Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson says they will make that decision, if the ordinance is approved, based on data.
"We're going to use the data. We're going to look at where we have the most significant crashes. Where you have fast roads, larger roads and a lot of school traffic. So, we're going to use the data to guide us," said Mayor Wilson.
According to the ordinance, anyone driving 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit would get a ticket in the mail. Signs alerting drivers would be required to be placed within 1,000 feet of any school crossing zone or highway work zone where the devices will be.
The Council has already approved the cost of installing five speed cameras in their Fiscal Year 2023 budget and estimate it will cost $490,000 per year to keep them up and running.
Mayor Wilson says the cameras, if approved, would be active at all times.
One Alexandria resident told WUSA9 she wasn't opposed to cameras, but felt they should only be operating during school hours or rush hours and in trouble spots, but is concerned it won't slow drivers down.
"I think if it's in an area where there's a lot of issues then that makes sense but otherwise I don't think it's an incentive to the people to be more careful," she said.
David Heiden, who also lives in Alexandria, said he's all for the cameras.
"Pretend like your kid's safety is on the line," was his message to anyone opposed to speed cameras.
When asked if there is a plan to eventually increase the number of speed cameras, Mayor Wilson said time will tell.
"We will see. it's ultimately the first time we've done this so we'll need to figure out what the general assembly will allow us to do."
"The goal here is not to raise revenue. The goal here is not to give a lot of tickets. the goal here is to get people to slow down" Wilson said.
Tuesday was the first reading of the ordinance. The next and final reading will be on Saturday. Council will also vote on Saturday. If approved, the speed cameras are expected to be up and running in early 2023.