Baltimore City to add speed cameras along Jones Falls Expressway
Automated speed cameras will be moved to two locations along the Jones Falls Expressway (JFX), or I-83, in Baltimore, according to the city's Department of Transportation.
The speed traps are being moved in an effort to lower the number of car crashes and improve safety. The cameras will be located in areas along the JFX where incidents of speeding and crashes usually occur, officials said.
The cameras will be moved from the north- and southbound lanes of JFX near the W. 41st Street bridge.
"Speeding and reckless driving makes our roads less safe – but luckily, since their installation, the JFX speed cameras have helped hold accountable the people who risk others' lives on the road," Mayor Brandon Scott said.
The new placement will be on northbound JFX at Smith Avenue and southbound JFX at W. North Avenue, according to officials.
Officials said there will be a 15-day grace period to alert drivers to the new camera locations, then the cameras will start giving out speeding tickets on Monday, March 24.
Speed enforcement signs will be posted along the expressway. Drivers exceeding the posted speed limit by 12 or more mph will receive a citation with a fine of $40.
Under Maryland state law, revenue from the automatic speed cameras will be used to cover the operating costs of the camera system with the remaining funds being allocated to improvements along the expressway.
Maryland cracks down on reckless driving
In 2023, there were 7,705 speed-involved crashes in Maryland that resulted in 102 deaths and 3,225 injuries.
Baltimore leaders aren't the only ones attempting to crack down on reckless driving.
In February, a group of state lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow an Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) device to be installed for drivers with multiple reckless driving convictions.
Under the bill, a judge would be able to order that the ISA device be installed in the car of a driver with multiple related convictions.
The device would cap the speed of a car at no more than nine mph over the posted speed limit. It would adjust depending on the car's location.
Lawmakers hope the legislation will make roads safer and help change driving behaviors.
