Cambridge City School District along with the City of Cambridge is pleased to announce equipment is installed and procedures developed to help ensure the safety of our students when traveling to and from school.
Crews recently posted signs at the city limits and have installed cameras near the school buildings located on Deer Path Drive, and Wills Creek Valley Drive. The goal of this project is to slow drivers down in and round schools to help keep kids safe.
“We are starting photo enforcement of speed at our Cambridge City Schools campus on Wills Creek Valley Drive and Deerpath Road during restricted hours only,” Cambridge Police Chief Dave Peoples said. “The cameras at the campus are the only ones in the city for photo enforcement purposes.”
The new signs announcing photo enforcement are a state requirement at every state route entering the city.
A study conducted during a five-day period in the fall of 2023 indicated a significant percentage of vehicles traveling near the school during pick-up and drop-off times (6:45 to 9 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.) exceeded the school zone speed limit of 20 miles per hour by 10 miles per hour.
On Wills Creek Valley Drive near Mayor Estates, a study found more than 84 percent of the vehicles were going 10 miles per hour or more over the 20 miles per hour speed limit indicated by the flashing school zone lights. That’s 2,253 vehicles that were speeding out of the 2,674 vehicles that were driving in the school zone during a five-day period.
The numbers weren’t as high near other buildings but were still significant. Approximately 40 percent of the vehicles driving on Deerpath Drive in front of the Intermediate School were clocked at more than 10 miles per hour over the 20 miles per hour speed limit during drop off and pick up times.
Approximately 14 percent of vehicles driving on Clairmont Avenue in front of the Primary School were recorded exceeding the 20 mile per hour limit by 10 miles per hour or more during pick up and drop off times. At this time, a camera will not be installed by Primary School, but the Police Department and the School District will continue to monitor this area as they consider adding traffic enforcement cameras in the future.
“The school district has worked with the city police department for several years to remind drivers to please slow down and be aware of our students especially during drop off and pick up times at school and when they are entering and exiting buses at bus stops though out the city,” Cambridge City Schools Superintendent Dan Coffman said.
The police department has stationed cruisers near the schools to remind drivers to slow down and even went as far as closing Clairmont Ave. to traffic during pick up one afternoon to remind drivers of the school zone speed limit.
“Working together with the city, we have come up with this solution to help cut down on the number of speeders and distracted drivers,” Coffman continued. “The reason for this course of action is to keep our students safe.”
Starting in late February, drivers who exceed the school zone speed limit by 10 miles per hour or will receive a warning letter. After a 30-day period, fines will be issued to drivers who exceed the school zone speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour.
While fines will be collected, citations will not be issued meaning there will be no negative impact to your driver’s license or insurance coverage.
“This is not a money grab or a way to raise funds for the city,” Chief Peoples said. “It is strictly a program to help keep our children safe.”
The financial goal of the new project is to break even, said Peoples. Any money generated from fines will first be used to support the program and then be used for school safety.