The city of Richmond will install nine more speed cameras in school zones before the first day of classes.
As a part of the city’s Safety Camera Program, which was piloted in November 2023, cameras currently are operating at Linwood Holton Elementary School and Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts.
Richmond Public Schools Chief Wellness Officer Renesha Parks said the district is excited to see the expansion of the program.
“Many of our schools are located in high-trafficked roads, and cars flying down these streets present a huge safety danger for students and families," Parks wrote in a statement to VPM News. “The cameras in the pilots last year led to a big drop in unsafe driving around schools, and we believe the expansion will too.”
Parks encouraged Richmond drivers to slow down in school zones as the district heads back to class next week. She added that student safety is a collective responsibility.
The cameras are in line with objectives of the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to improve the safety of people who walk, roll and bike across streets within school zones. The execution of the city’s Vision Zero plan is a joint effort among Richmond Police Department, Richmond Department of Public Works and city administration.
A Richmond police spokesperson said the cameras are being installed, in both directions, this week at the following schools:
- Huguenot High School, 7909 Forest Hill Ave.
- Lucille M. Brown Middle School, 6300 Jahnke Rd.
- Mary Munford Elementary School, 4567 Grove Ave.
- Frances W. McClenney Elementary School, 3817 Chamberlayne Ave.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, 1000 Mosby St.
- River City Middle School, 6300 Hull St.
- Swansboro Elementary School, 3160 Midlothian Turnpike
- Thomas Boushall Middle School, 3400 Hopkins Rd.
- Westover Hills Elementary School, 1211 Jahnke Rd.
The school cameras will be active for four hours during the school day: from 7:15 to 9:15 a.m. and from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. Warning signs will be posted, indicating the safety cameras are present.
Richmond police spokesperson James Mercante said there will be a 30-day grace period at the new locations. Residents can also expect a warning in the mail during that time.
After that, drivers operating their vehicles at 11 mph or higher over the posted school zone speed limit can expect a citation in the mail after evidence of speeding is reviewed by an RPD officer. The first violation will cost drivers $50; all subsequent violations will be $100.
According to the city's Safety Camera Program, fines will go toward a special fund used to sustain the camera program and fund Vision Zero.
In 2020, state lawmakers approved the use of cameras around highway work zones and school crossing zones. As a result, Richmond announced plans to add cameras last year. This started as a pilot initiative with plans to expand to 13 school districts with 26 cameras.
VPM News previously reported that the pilot zones were chosen because of their proximity to high-injury areas in the city — where a disproportionate number of traffic-related crashes occur.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, speed cameras help slow down drivers, limiting the number of crashes and reducing risk of serious injuries or death.
In July, Chief Rick Edwards presented an update on the camera program during RPD's mid-year crime data briefing. During the four operating hours, he said, an average of 76 citations are issued per day at the pilot locations — a decrease from earlier in the year. In April, WRIC reported that 176 citations were being issued on weekdays.
