(4/23) After hearing complaints from concerned citizens about speeding in the City’s school zones, the Council began the process of determining the best way to prevent excessive speed. The Council discussed installing speed cameras, which automatically generate and deliver tickets to violators, in order to prevent speeding. Doing so allows the City to have extra enforcement capabilities without having to hire additional personnel. The City does already utilize a decoy police car to deter speeding.
There are two areas that were "tested" last October to see if a speed camera would be useful: Trevanion Road, which is close to Taneytown Elementary School and Northwest Middle School, and the Baumgardner and East Baltimore Street intersection on the opposite side of the schools. After testing it was determined that the Baumgardner and East Baltimore Street intersection did not see enough speed violations to make a speed camera a worthwhile endeavor at that location. Trevanion, however, saw "277 cars going 12 mph over the posted limit," according to Mayor Christopher Miller, a supporter of the project.
Earlier this year, Mike Phelan, the Director of Strategic Accounts for Altumint, a provider of AI-enabled traffic technology, presented the Council with an overview of what they can do for speeding enforcement in Taneytown. Located a little more than an hour away, the Company utilizes speed cameras and red-light technology to catch speed violators and distribute tickets.
There are two ways to mount the speed cameras: on a pole or with a trailer system. The Council debated the pros and cons of both options, deciding that a pole-mounted camera would best suit the location. Altumint would be responsible for the equipment during its service. By choosing a local company, any repairs or replacements can be easily performed. According to Phelan, most speed cameras are in service Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, including holidays. However, this schedule can be altered to whatever the Council deems appropriate.
Phelan assured the Council that the services provided by Altumint are 100% violator funded with no upfront cost to install. "You will never have to pay out of pocket," he said. He also said that any permits required by the State Highway Administration would be the responsibility of Altumint. State law limits the max speed threshold to 12mph, meaning if the speed limit is 25 mph, a vehicle must be going 37 mph in order to be ticketed. The State also sets the ticket violation at $40.
Along with physical cameras detecting speed, Altumint uses a program that can be accessed by the Chief of Police and other City officials, allowing them to run reports, reject or approve violations and receive payments. The cameras take pictures and a short video of the violation. The Chief of Police will then need to log into the Altumint Program and either approve or deny the violation. If approved, the information is forwarded to the MVA, where the registered owner of the vehicle’s information is obtained and a ticket is sent. The owner can either pay the ticket or go to court. If nothing is done, a delinquent notice is then sent.
Mayor Pro Tem James McCarron has a long history of opposition to the use of speed cameras to aid in controlling speeding. At previous meetings, he argued that the numbers received in preliminary inspections of the chosen locations were not high enough to warrant using speed cameras. Miller countered by reminding the Council, "that section of Trevanion isn’t fully side-walked and kids walk up and down that road."
According to Phelan, from the contract signing to the final installation of the equipment it should take about five months. However, before Altumint can do anything for the City, the Council must pass legislation allowing red-light speed camera technology to be used in a school zone.
Prior to the vote in April, McCarron asked the Council to reconsider the Project, "I’ve been vocal about my opposition to this Ordinance," he said. "The previous Council has examined this issue thoroughly and it was primarily a money-making proposition rather than a safety proposition, and it would be a burden to the citizens of Taneytown if we enact this."
Although Councilman Christopher Tillman understood McCarron’s position, he disagreed. He reminded the Council that kids walk along Trevanion where more than 10% of the traffic on that road is going more than 12 mph over the speed limit. "Ordinarily I would be opposed on libertarian grounds to this," he said. "But in this particular case, I’m not sure that we really have any other option." The Ordinance was approved with a vote of 3 to 2, McCarron and Councilwoman Judith Fuller against the Ordinance.
With the Ordinance in place, the next step is to write and approve a contract with a chosen vendor.
