The Philadelphia Parking Authority is set to install 15 speeding violation cameras along Broad Street, including 10 blocks along Temple’s Main Campus, to deter speeding and introduce new speeding fines.
The cameras will most likely be installed in February 2025 and will have an initial grace period where drivers will only receive warnings if caught speeding.
PPA plans to install 15 total camera locations with three cameras pointed in different directions to catch speeding drivers. Each camera will cost the organization $3,150 per month.
If a driver goes 10-19 mph above the speed limit, the fine is $100. For 20-29 mph, the fine is $125 and above 30 mph will be a $150 fine. Failure to pay the fines by the due date or request a review will result in additional fees, according to the PPA.
“I think it’s important that even though the key to this is not revenue generating, the money that is generated from the violations goes to the state for grants for traffic safety improvements and pedestrians,” said PPA’s Executive Director Richard Lazer.
The pilot program, which began with ten cameras along Roosevelt Boulevard, resulted in a 90% decrease in speeding and more than 35% decrease in accident data where the cameras are, according to the PPA.
PPA is also releasing a public service announcement campaign for the camera initiative. The videos, recorded in black and white, depict stories of family members and friends of victims who were killed in crashes. They call on drivers to not speed down Roosevelt Boulevard or Broad Street.
One video, narrated by Rev. Stephanie Evans, told the story of her son Robert, who was killed in a Broad Street crash as he was exiting his truck. She urged drivers to “think, stop and take a deep breath” when driving down Broad Street.
PPA says pedestrian, bicycle and driver safety is at the forefront of the campaign. PPA has worked on safety improvement projects and traffic calming measures using the revenue generated from the Roosevelt Boulevard cameras, Lazer said.
Temple’s Main Campus, centered on Broad Street, totals six street blocks with popular crosswalks like Polett Walk and Montgomery and Cecil B. Moore Avenues. Large buildings like The Liacouras Center, Temple Performing Arts Center and residence halls all border Broad Street.
“During those large events at The Liacouras Center, there’s been multiple occasions where we’ve stopped Broad Street to get people out of the building safely, which is the best practice,” said Jennifer Griffin, vice president of public safety. “Enforcement, police officers stopping cars, speeding and red light violations, all of those contribute to crashes both with cars and pedestrians.”
Temple’s Department of Public Safety added safety guards or officers stationed at intersections to help guide traffic at high volume areas where students change classes. Guards are frequently posted on 13th Street near Montgomery Avenue outside of the Howard Gittis Student Center and 12th Street near Polett Walk outside of the College of Liberal Arts’ buildings.
“I was crossing at an intersection at the crosswalks in front of Morgan Hall at the skatepark and I double checked because it did seem busy, and some cars stopped for me on one end,” said Cynthia Garcia, a freshman journalism major. “The other cars coming from the opposite end, they did not stop and almost hit me, I heard those brakes screech.”
In the Fall 2022 semester, a motorist killed a pedestrian as they were pulling out of Beasley Walk near Broad Street. The university installed a speed bump in the area the following semester, The Temple News reported.
There have been at least 15 traffic accidents this year that involved either a fatality or injury on Broad Street, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, an organization that advocates for bicycle and pedestrian safety.
The city’s Vision Zero project, in congruence with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and PPA, reported 169 fatal crashes, 165 speeding-related crashes and 456 pedestrian-involved crashes between 2018-22. The project found that North Broad Street has a higher volume of speeding-related crashes compared to South Broad Street.
City Council adopted a resolution recognizing Nov. 17, 2024 as World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
“It’s not about the PPA, it’s about who you’re affecting and the real lives of people due to speeding,” Lazer said. “This enforcement mechanism is a piece of it, but the thought is that we need to make sure we’re driving on the road safely.”
Haddijatou Jammeh contributed reporting.
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