On April 10, 2024, the Tallahassee City Commission voted unanimously to introduce a new ordinance regarding school speed zone enforcement and scheduled its first public hearing for April 24, 2024.
According to the agenda item, the ordinance was drafted in accordance with new statutory requirements to initiate the implementation of a school speed zone enforcement program at identified Leon County public school locations within the City limits to enhance public safety.
Additionally, the new law allows municipalities to utilize automated speed detection systems, and the cost of the program will be supported by the fines.
The implementation of the school zone speed zone program will require a public awareness campaign prior to the commencement of enforcement activities, a thirty-day warning period on all violations during the public awareness campaign, as well as signage notifying motorist that speed detection systems are in use.
Previously, on April, 28, 2023, the Florida Legislature passed, and the Governor signed “Enforcement of School Speed Zone Limits” into law, which became effective on July 1, 2023. The purpose of the law is to make Florida’s school zones safer by changing drivers’ behavior in and around school zones. The law allows for violations of more than ten miles per hour over the applicable speed limit in school zones when children are going to or from school, and during the entirety of the school day to result in a notice of violation fine of $100 mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
The Tallahassee Police Department and the City’s Technology and Innovations Department completed a review of the program to determine its potential impact on public safety. A traffic study was conducted at Leon County public schools for one day during the proposed hours of enforcement. The study revealed that more than one hundred vehicles exceeded the posted speed limit by at least ten miles per hour. In all, more than 47,000 violations were observed during the study. It is anticipated that these violations will dramatically decrease with the initiation of the program.
City Commission Approves School Speed Zone Enforcement Ordinance added by Staff on
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Dropping the speed from 20 mph to 15 is absurd. You can literally roll down your window and have a brief conversation with the crossing guard at that speed. It’s next to impossible to maintain that speed, and none of the city busses do it and will never be ticketed.
Sounds to me like there has been a gross lack of enforcement by local police for school speed limits to be so ignored. I can’t imagine that this return to speed cameras will find success. .
If you are truly that worried about the safety of the Kids, WHY did you put a Sidewalk on the WRONG SIDE of Tram Road? All of the Homes on Tram Road by the School Zone are on the NORTH side of Tram Road and yet, you built a very expensive Sidewalk/Dockwalk on the SOUTH SIDE of Tram Road making the Kids cross Tram Road TWICE.