Speed demons in Philadelphia should consider easing off the gas pedal. The grace period is officially over, and starting Friday, drivers who are caught going 11 mph or more over the 25 mph limit on Broad Street will get a $100 fine in the mail, NBC Philadelphia reports. This change marks a significant transition from warnings to actual penalties and is aimed at enhancing road safety in a city known for its busy intersections and bustling streets.
Equipped at 15 sites along North and South Broad Street, these vigilant electronic sentinels are set to maintain order with relentless scrutiny. Exceeding the speed limit by 20 to 29 mph on this significant corridor will attract a $125 fine, while those daring to race 30 mph or more beyond the prescribed limit can expect a $150 penalty, as FOX 29 detailed.
Deserey Jay, in expressing her thoughts to FOX 29, supported the purpose behind the cameras but challenged the severity of the fines, saying, "Stopping car crashes and things like that. Fining though? That is a little bit crazy," and speculated on the burden this could impose given the current wages, "I feel like $50 you know or $60. Our minimum wage is too low for a ticket to be $150 but that is just me," said Jay. Rich Lazer, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, hopes for "lifesaving results along Broad Street," referencing a dramatic decrease in speeding along Roosevelt Boulevard due to similar measures.
Driver sentiments swung from wary acceptance to outright disapproval, with some emphasising the sufficiency of traffic to self-regulate. While gassing up his car on South Broad, "There's enough traffic to regulate itself. There does not have to be a speed limit," Rich Collier told FOX 29. And mentioning the fate of an acquaintance captured by the cameras, he added, "They gave her a warning. Two warnings. She is going to be taking the expressway."
The Philadelphia Parking Authority, tasked with issuing tickets, asserts that such enforcement mechanisms have not only deterred speeders but also saved lives, especially in high-traffic zones, as corroborated by 6abc. They hope that the results observed on Roosevelt Boulevard, where speeding violations diminished by 95% and pedestrian incidents halved, will echo along Broad Street. Pedestrian Asia Daily told 6abc, "I think it's a great idea," she said, voicing a sentiment for safety, "I feel like a lot of cars don't take pedestrians into consideration and bikers as well."
