ORLANDO, Fla. – On Monday, the city of Orlando moved one step closer to adding speed cameras to school zones after an initial vote of approval by the city council.
If councilmembers end up passing the proposed ordinance next month, Orlando would become only the third city in Central Florida — after Eustis and Winter Garden — to use photo radar in school zones.
Eustis’ speed camera in front of Eustis Elementary School captured 1,300 drivers speeding at least 10 mph over the speed limit and issued $100 tickets for each violation in just the first month that the camera was activated, according to Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.
Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer acknowledged the need to improve pedestrian safety, especially for children.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
“OK, everybody knows safety is a high priority,” Dyer said. “We don’t get high marks on pedestrian safety in our region.”
During Monday’s city council meeting, commissioners were told school zone speed cameras reduce injuries and deaths by as much as 37%.
All commissioners voted in favor of the cameras, including Patty Sheehan and newly-elected Shan Rose.
“We’ve got little-bitty kids on bicycles trying to get across these busy roads and we need to do something because people aren’t paying attention,” Sheehan said.
Rose was elected in a special election after former District 5 Commissioner Regina Hill was arrested.
“Educational sessions are going to be very important,” Rose said. “District 5 community residents are always complaining about being stereotyped or the negative impact this could have on the economic side. So we have to have a happy medium balance and educate this is a safety medium to protect our children in the school zone.”
State law requires “in order to deploy a speed detection system near a specific school, the school must have an established school zone,” according to a city memorandum.
Orlando has 114 schools, but 29 are not eligible for school zones.
Sixty don’t have school zones, but city staff said they would look into creating zones around those schools.
Meanwhile, 25 schools do have school zones, so that’s where the speed cameras could or would be installed.
If commissioners pass the proposed ordinance on its second reading at the July 15 city council meeting, it would allow city staff to contract with a vendor at no cost to the city to complete installation in all 25 zones by the end of the year. There would be a warning period before the cameras issue fines.
City staff said the cameras would generate between $1 million and $1.5 million per year to be used on pedestrian safety improvements.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: