Two More Speed Cameras in Bowie Next Month

Speeders beware: Two more speed cameras will be up and running in Bowie next month.

The State Highway Administration has given the city the green light to install speed cameras on two state-owned roads in Bowie.

The new cameras will be placed in school zones on Route 450 near Bowie High School and on Route 197 near Rockledge Elementary. The cameras will be operational on Jan. 17.

"Route 450 continues to be a problem area for speeding, especially in the area of the high school and can create a problem for students crossing at both the high school and St. Pius," Nesky said.

The city has also received numerous complaints about speeding on Route 197 near Rockledge, said Acting Police Chief John Nesky.

Drivers exceeding the speed limit by at least 12 miles per hour will be fined $40. The citation does not carry points or affect the owner's driving record. No warnings will be issued, according to Nesky.

After the state approved the use of speed cameras in school and work zones last year, the city council authorized speed cameras in school zones between the hours of 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday in the city.

The city installed its first camera on Northview Drive in mid-April. 

Drivers caught on camera speeding during the first 30 days were issued a warning.  City Manager David Deutsch said, at a June city council meeting, 4500 warnings were issued to drivers on Northview Drive during the 30-day warning period.

The city's second camera was placed on Belair Drive near the Belair Annex in June.

 More than $650,000 has been collected since the city installed the cameras at the two locations. The city has contracted with Affiliated Computer Services Inc. to operate its speed camera program. The Dallas-based company receives 40 percent – or $16.25 – of each paid $40 ticket. After costs, the city must use the money to fund public safety programs.

Since the two cameras were installed, the fines collected each month have dropped significantly after peaking in the summer– from a high of $197,105 in August to $67,160 last month.

City officials see the decline as evidence the cameras are slowing down drivers.

"I have to believe it's affecting behavior. It's hard to avoid Belair Drive," Deutsch said.

"The main reason is increased compliance with the speed limit though I would imagine a small percentage would avoid the area. Either way, that is the really the whole purpose of the program – decrease speed inside of the school zones," Nesky said.

Theon county-owned Old Chapel and Race Track Roads near Samuel Ogle Middle School and Yorktown Elementary.

"We want to wrap it up as quickly as possible," said Deutsch. "We are hopeful that before too long the county will be ready to go."