Speed cameras are really the only thing that slow people down (speaking as a leadfoot myself). I believe I read recently, though, that a private company is making the money from them, not the county. If that's true, then it IS about safety, not revenue. However, I really think the county should be getting the money, not a company. At least then the fines would go to the county budget.

Janet, you did read that. Patch reported here that ACS State and Local Solutions is now getting about 95 cents of every dollar collected. Mostly this is a result of the county paying a flat fee per camera per month at the same time the number of citations are decreasing. County Executive Kevin Kamenetz has called that contract a bad deal for the county and said it is being renegotiated.

Speed Cameras do not slow people down. They still allow traffic to travel 12 mph over the speed limit. If the County wanted traffic slowed, for the safety of our children as they claim, then they would install speed humps and traffic circles and really do the job. As a bonus the County would also save alot of money as speed humps do not cost $12,000 a month to operate. Wouldnt a nice traffic circle at the entrance of Perry Hall High be great? It would improve traffic flow in the morning and afternoon school drop offs and pick ups and slow traffic down, what a no brainer.

Why not just pay a police officer to sit there and issue tickets? Then the county would get the money and it wouldn't cost $12,000 a month.

$12,000.00 X 12 months X 16 cameras = $2,304,000.00 = a lot more police officers in our neighborhoods and on our streets. The cameras on ping vehicles going 12 MPH over, Police officers could do more than one thing. I wonder if speed cameras send MTA bus's tickets?

The speed cameras aren't costing anything at this point. The County just isn't making as much from them as they could.

That stretch of Ebenezer Road has become a major thoroughfare. Speed bumps would be unrealistic.

A traffic circle at the entrance of the high school makes no sense. The entrances and exits of the school are only busy 2 times a day, 180 days a year. A traffic circle at Ebenezer and Carlisle might be a good idea, but it would not slow down traffic at the high school.

I'm all for speed cameras. The speed limit along that stretch is 30 MPH. You cannot get fined unless you exceed that speed by 40%!! I think they should increase the fine.

I too live 1/2 mile away from the potential camera site. I too fought legislation to allow these cameras. I think the placement of this camera has less to do with political retribution, and more to do with the obvious speeding problem in front of Perry Hall High School. While I feel there are better alternatives, I do hope the cameras reduce speeding on Ebenezer Road.

Well, Mr. Bromwell, what do you recommend? :)

When I met with then County Executive Smith nine years ago, I asked for traffic calming devices to be installed at the school. I had asked for lines to be painted on either side of the street to help narrow the road (to a margin similar to that of the stretch of road in front of Indian Rock Park). These lines would have also helped to identify parking for PHHS students. I also asked about the possibility of having trees planted to help create a more narrow roadway.

When that request was not honored, I asked for a blinking crosswalk device that would tell motorists how fast they are travelling, as well as give them the speed limit. Neither of those were implemented, obviously. When I approached County Executive Kamenetz about the issue last year, he mentioned a speed camera. I told him I can't support a speed camera when I feel there are better, far less intrusive options.

Welcome to the good old boy network of Baltimore County. That's their known MO!!!

I drive pass PHHS every morning after dropping my children off at PHMS. The main danger I see, are the students who walk out into the traffice anywhere they choose too. They have no regards for the vehicles. I am just glad I am not the homeowner of the houses where the kids stand and smoke and throw all their butts on the sidewalks and streets. As a driver, you can't fly up the road in the morning with everyone dropping their students off or students trying to park on the road.

I live in dundalk. I live near standbury park. the main drag on the road next to the quarry was a speed way. Traffic calming devices to funnel traffic and speed humps have stopped the speeding. Since they are no point tickets, 40 bucks is a 1 time fee. It isnt like a real speeding ticket. where points= insurance going up. I also think since you cannot take a speed camera to court you cannot face your accuser in court. Also the calibration and software are not open to the public. So if the software and sensors are off you cannot defend your self

Jason, I'm not sure about the calibration and software open to the public issue.

While I was the breath test supervisor in the county there were many challenges to the equipment used to obtain a BAC on a defendant. In fact it got so bad that a tech was assigned to be in court to answer many of the challenges.

Laws are akin to spin control; you just never know what the outcome will be. I think you might refer to it as opinion attributed to humane error.

In the case of a speed camera, legal challenges can be made. The drawback is they are costly to those making them.

I have be out of the loop for awhile so I won''t swear to it.

There were many challenges on red light cameras and the timing of the yellow lights.

I've been driving to DC for over 22 years and in the past few years as we all know they have lots of signs that tell you your speed with the police speed vehicle close by (sometimes). There have been more than a lot of times where I go by at 60 mph and they read 50mph or 75 mph. I have to take a deep breath when they say 75mph and thank god the ticket vehicle is not there b/c I know I was only going 60. You think cameras don't malfunction like that. Also this has me so upset and mad. I've never gotten a ticket in my life and I drive over 150 miles round trip to work a day. I got my first ticket the day of the hurricane. I was making a right at Moravia on what I thought would be yellow and it turned red faster that I've ever seen in my life. I had my 66 year old mother in the vehicle and I said to her - How did that turn red so fast?. I got a ticket for making a right on red and not stopping long enough. The only reason I turned and did not come to a complete stop is that I thought it was still going to be yellow. Now I have to fight it in court near North Avenue for what a police officer would reasonably probably not have given me a ticket. I think that light turned red faster than it was supposed to. I was not being a racer with my mom in the car.The most important thing near the schools is the kids. Speed Bumps should be stressed. Even the speeders don't want to mess up their vehicles.