The City of Palm Bay has once again suspended its school zone speed camera program, this time for the remainder of the school year, following a series of issues with the technology and ticketing errors. This decision was announced Wednesday, as city officials raised concerns over the accuracy and reliability of the system managed by RedSpeed, the third-party contractor in charge of the cameras.
According to FOX 35, ticketing errors included hundreds of citations incorrectly citing Palm Bay drivers for speeding in school zones in Miami, a city many had reportedly never visited. The Mayor of Palm Bay, Rob Medina, initially supported the safety initiative but expressed a loss of trust in RedSpeed following these blunders. "This is supposed to work, and it isn’t our fault that it is not functioning," Medina stated.
Further reporting by ClickOrlando revealed that the cameras were intended to detect drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 mph in an active school zone. Violators would then receive a $100 ticket mailed to them after review by a traffic enforcement officer. The program's previous suspension occurred in late February due to inconsistencies with school schedules and state regulations. Despite an attempt to rectify these issues and the cameras being reactivated in late March, more problems surfaced, leading to the current suspension.
For residents who received violations, the city has outlined options for payment or dispute on the Palm Bay website or through direct contact with RedSpeed at 1-877-204-0867.
