New D.C. speed cameras take effect Tuesday

WASHINGTON — More than a dozen new automated speed cameras spring to life Tuesday, sending leadfoots a warning before tickets become a reality next month.

In all, 14 speed cameras and one oversized truck camera are set to go online. They primarily target areas with posted speed limits of 25 mph.

The new locations reach across the District, from Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest to Martin Luther King Avenue in Southeast.

For the first 30 days, they will issue warning tickets. After that, speeding comes at a price.

Driving 1 mph to 10 mph above the limit will be a $50 fine. Doing 11 mph to 15 mph over results in a $100 ticket. The price increases in 5 mph increments, up to $300 for driving in excess of 26 mph above the posted limit, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

However, when WTOP asked specifically about speed cameras, the District said it does not issue tickets unless a driver travels faster than 10 miles per hour above the posted limit.

While many drivers loathe the automated enforcement, neighborhoods often welcome them.

“They can be doing 55 in some cases,” says Rick Jones, who lives near 4600 Arkansas Ave., where a new camera is set for deployment. “When you got kids, you got to be safe.”

Jackson Gerst has a young daughter, and he says regular speeding along that stretch has been a hazard.

“We have a 5-year-old kid, and we stay as far away from this road as possible,” he says. “That stretch is so long from one light to another, that they got enough time to get up some speed.”

One camera, on Monroe Street near 18th Street Northeast, will target oversized trucks.

View a map with the location of the cameras:

District Location Type Speed Limit
2 4600 blk Massachusetts Ave NW Speed 25
2 3900 blk Cathedral Ave NW nw/b Speed 25
2 2600 blk Wisconsin s/b NW Speed 25
2 4600 blk Reservoir Rd NW nw/b Speed 25
3 2200 blk 18th St NW n/b Speed 25
4 3600 blk Georgia Ave s/b NW Speed 30
4 4600 blk Arkansas Ave NW sw/b Speed 25
5 1800 blk Monroe St NE w/b Oversized 25
5 New York Ave e/b @ Bladensburg Rd NE Speed 35
5 2200 blk Rhode Island Ave NE ne/b Speed 30
5 3600 blk South Dakota Ave NE ne/b Speed 25
6 4600 blk N H Burroughs Ave NE nw/b Speed 25
6 200 blk 44th St NE s/b Speed 25
7 2500 blk Martin Luther King Ave SE n/b Speed 25
7 4200 blk 6th St SE s/b Speed 25

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