30 Day Warning Period on New Cameras, Fines to Start February 4, 2019
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Providence, RI- The City of Providence announces new locations for four (4) of the 15 Portable Camera Units (PCU’s) that are operational throughout the City. The PCU’s, or speed cameras, are used to enforce speed limit violations and increase public safety measures for both pedestrians and drivers.
These cameras began operating in January of this year, starting with five (5) locations, and increasing to ten (10) in March 2018. Cameras are rotated based on the number of violations that are issued and placed in areas with problematic traffic and speed concerns. Cameras are operational on all school days, Monday through Friday and enforce the posted speed limit from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Warnings will be issued for violations that occur at the four new locations for 30 school days, beginning yesterday, December 10, 2018. Fines will begin being issued on Monday, February 4, 2019 (subject to change pending school cancellations due to inclement weather.)
The four new locations are 191 Webster Avenue (Webster Avenue School), 156 Reservoir Avenue (Reservoir Avenue Elementary School), 51 Fruit Hill Avenue (St. Thomas Regional School) and 450 Elmgrove Avenue (Providence Hebrew Day School).
Cameras that have been moved and no longer in service at their previous locations include 150 Depasquale Avenue (Carl Lauro Elementary), 180 Sterling Avenue (Webster Avenue Elementary), 1547 Chalkstone Avenue (Pleasant View Elementary School) and 307 Elmgrove Avenue (Nathan Bishop Middle School).
Cameras that remain issuing violations in their current location are 50 Laurel Hill Avenue (Achievement First Mayoral Academy), 55 Gordon Avenue- Potters Avenue side (Bailey Elementary), Across from 114 Olney Street (Hope High School), Branch Avenue-Northside East of Burleigh Street (E-cubed Academy), 320 Public Street (MET School), 515 Mount Pleasant Avenue (Mount Pleasant High School), 179 Thurbers Avenue (Roger Williams Middle School), 417 Charles Street (Esek Hopkins Middle School), 301 Butler Avenue (Lincoln School), 773 Chalkstone Avenue (Nathaniel Greene Middle School) and 812 Douglas Avenue (Veazie Street School).
Increased signage is placed in areas where speed limit laws will be photo enforced. If a vehicle is determined by the PCU to be operating 11MPH or more over the speed limit, a violation will automatically be issued. The violation will then be reviewed by Providence Police Officers and Conduent, an outside vendor who manages and maintains the cameras. Once the violation is reviewed for accuracy and the information is verified, it is then mailed to the offender for payment. The first and each subsequent fine is $50.00.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School reports that pedestrians have a 95 percent chance of surviving if hit by a car going 20 miles per hour; 55 percent for pedestrians hit by a car going 30 miles per hour; and 15 percent for those hit by a car going 40 miles per hour.
A reduction in speed can be the difference between life and death.