Heads-up, motorists. Suffolk is rolling out an array of automated cameras that will help enforce traffic laws.
Devices will be placed at nine intersections to catch those running red lights, on school bus crossing arms to catch drivers who don’t stop when required, and at work and school zones to catch those who drive over the speed limit, the city said a news release.
The city is partnering with traffic technology company Altumint to install, maintain and operate the cameras. Civil penalties from the violations will pay for the initiative, a spokesperson said, so the rollout won’t cost the city anything.
Once the sum surpasses the value of the contract with Altumint, the funds will go toward roadway safety improvements, according to the city.
Under state law, cities and counties can implement red-light cameras at one intersection for every 10,000 residents. Suffolk’s population is more than 94,000, according to the 2020 census.
The intersections getting red-light cameras have not been determined, a city spokesperson told The Pilot. Suffolk completed a study this week on 15 unspecified intersections with a history of red-light violations, but the spokesperson said the intersection of Shoulders Hill and Bridge roads would be at the top of the list.
The spokesperson said the school zones getting speed cameras have also not been selected, but the city will prioritize schools in high-traffic areas such as Florence Bowser Elementary and Nansemond River High. All school zones, public and private, are being considered.
Fifty cameras will be installed on school bus crossing arms — though this may increase. Two work-zone cameras will be used on the Route 58/Holland widening project, one will be used on the Shoulders Hill/Bridge Road project, and a fourth location has not been determined, according to the city.
The red-light and school bus cameras will automatically take pictures of the violating vehicle and record a short video of the incident, with context such as the stoplight’s color or the bus’s arm being extended. The school and work-zone cameras will calculate the speed of a passing vehicle and take a photograph of the front and back.
For red-light violations, the vehicle will be photographed three times: once showing the light is red as the vehicle crosses the white stop bar on the road, the next showing the license plate number, and the third showing the vehicle going through the intersection while the light is still red. The cameras are connected to the traffic lights and sensors in the road surface, according to the city.
Vehicles entering the intersection while the light is yellow and are still in the intersection when the light turns red will not be photographed.
Drivers will soon see signs noting a 30-day period during which violators will only receive warnings. After that, the city said, fines will be issued when the cameras go live this spring.
The school-zone and bus cameras will go live at the beginning of the 2024 school year. Those caught violating these laws will also receive a warning if they do so prior to the start of the school year.
“This added layer of technology will serve as an additional reminder to all motorists to slow down while traveling through a school zone and to stop for the school bus,” said Suffolk Public Schools Superintendent John Gordon in the news release.
Altumint will review violations to determine whether they are valid before sending them to Suffolk police for further review. Police will make the final decision on issuing a civil penalty, the city spokesperson said.
The fines for the violations are as follows:
- Running a red light: $50
- School speed zone violation: $100
- Not stopping for school buses: $250
- Work zone speed violation: $100
The cameras only record images of vehicles when a violation occurs, according to the city. The mailed notices of violation will include the date and location, along with a link to view the video. The notices also will have information on how to appeal.
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Staff writer Matt Cahill contributed to this report.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com