A bill to put speed cameras in several different school zones in Philadelphia was voted out of committee Monday in City Council.

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas defended a bill he sponsored that would implement a five-year pilot program testing speed enforcement cameras in five school zones.

Seven school zones were suggested as possible camera sites, all picked based on recent crash data.

"There are those heartbreaking situations when you get those text messages that a child has been hit by a car going to or from school. Unfortunately, just last week, an 11-year-old in Philadelphia was hit by a car in the morning on the way to school," Thomas said.    

Drivers caught speeding near one of the schools would have to pay a fine between $100 and $150, depending on how fast they were going.             

The cameras would only be active during school hours.

"People driving wild is just unsafe"

Machumu Freeman is a teacher and parent in the city. He and his son Sekou agree that speed calming measures are necessary. 

"School zones should be the safest streets and roads in the city. Drivers should be more careful," Machumu Freeman said. 

"Put them in every single school zone because people driving wild is just unsafe," student Sekou Freeman said.

One of the main concerns from committee members was whether drivers would get enough notice about the speed cameras and the pilot program, to make sure they're not unfairly ticketed. 

"Speed cameras helped me to stop speeding, especially on the Boulevard, because I got tired of paying the speeding tickets," Machumu Freeman said.

A 2023 report by the Pennsylvania State Transportation Advisory Committee found that speed cameras on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia have been successful in slowing down reckless drivers. The city plans to add speed enforcement cameras to Broad Street this year as well.

The entire council is expected to vote on the bill April 24.