Drivers on some of Philadelphia’s toughest corridors may soon feel a little less like they are running a gauntlet. On Wednesday, PennDOT announced a $13 million traffic safety package for the city, channeling cash from the state’s automated speed enforcement program into six projects that stretch across Philadelphia.
The money is set to bankroll more speed cameras, intersection upgrades, corridor improvements and traffic calming near schools. State and city officials have zeroed in on four major corridors for serious attention: Frankford Avenue, 52nd Street, Hunting Park Avenue and Germantown Avenue.
What PennDOT Is Funding
PennDOT says the new spending plan includes $500,000 to expand automated speed camera coverage and $1.5 million for planning permanent safety upgrades. Another $5 million is reserved for improvements along Frankford Avenue, 52nd Street, Hunting Park Avenue and Germantown Avenue.
On top of that, the department lists $2 million each for intersection improvements, corridor upgrades and traffic calming at 100 schools across the city. Those figures were first laid out by FOX 29, citing PennDOT.
Where The Money Comes From
The $13 million pot is made up of fines collected through Philadelphia’s Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) program. Under state rules, that revenue is funneled into a PennDOT transportation safety fund, which then pays for local engineering work and safety grants.
The ASE program was made permanent and expanded by state legislation in 2023, and officials have already tapped surplus camera revenue in previous funding rounds to support local safety projects, according to PennDOT.
Why The Push Now
Automated speed cameras in Philadelphia started as a pilot on Roosevelt Boulevard, a corridor long associated with dangerous speeding and serious crashes. Officials say the cameras led to steep drops in speeding and a notable reduction in pedestrian-involved crashes.
Local planners often point to that stretch of Roosevelt Boulevard as proof that cameras and street engineering need to work together, not in isolation. The Roosevelt pilot’s results, frequently cited by city and state leaders, serve as the model for this new round of investments, with more detail documented by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
What’s Next For Neighborhoods
For now, PennDOT has not released a timeline for when each project will break ground or wrap up, and it also has not published a full list of the 100 schools slated for new speed humps.
City officials and the Philadelphia Parking Authority, which runs the ASE camera program, are expected to coordinate public outreach, design work and exact locations as projects move forward. Local groups say they anticipate community meetings before construction starts.
FOX 29 noted the lack of a firm schedule so far, and the city’s ASE expansion materials spell out how corridors and school zones are chosen on the website of the City of Philadelphia.
