* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: Councilmember Clarke
At the request of: The Traffic Calming & Pedestrian-Friendliness Task Force
Address: c/o Jamie Kendrick, Baltimore City Department of Transportation
417 East Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Telephone: 410-396-6802
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Request for State Legislation - Automated Speed Enforcement
FOR the purpose of requesting the Honorable Chairs and Members of the Baltimore City Senate and House Delegations to the 2008 Maryland General Assembly to sponsor legislation to grant authority to Baltimore City to implement an automated speed enforcement program and urging the Governor to support this legislation to protect our residential and school communities from unsafe vehicular traffic.
Body
Recitals
In May, 2006, the Baltimore City Council created The Baltimore City Traffic Calming and Pedestrian-Friendly Task Force, a Citywide neighborhood and school-based body, in cooperation with the Departments of Transportation and Planning, with the purpose to "design and adopt Baltimore City traffic calming and pedestrian-friendly goals, policies, procedures and time lines that ensure safer traffic and pedestrian conditions for Baltimore's residential and school communities."
The Traffic Calming Task Force found, in part, that: 2 primary concerns of residents seeking calming solutions are reductions in traffic speed and cut-through traffic; speeding on high volume, major roadways (arterials) requires an enforcement-based approach to traffic calming and that the Baltimore Police Department, even with support from State police agencies, does not have sufficient resources to enforce the City's traffic laws; and speed enforcement is the most effective means to calm traffic on arterial roadways and speed cameras are a cost-effective means to apply speed enforcement.
As an integral part of achieving its traffic calming goals, the Task Force seeks state legislation enabling the use of automated speed enforcement systems in the City. - "As a starting point the Task Force recommends placing speed cameras near schools, recreation centers, parks and churches" and that "the automated speed enforcement concept is similar to the current 'Red Light Camera' concept currently implemented in the City of Baltimore, except it is usually deployed first in unmarked vehicles to leverage its effectiveness. They can be installed in fixed locations as well. This technology is not experimental; it has been in operation for many years and is currently deployed in the District of Columbia and Montgomery County."
Passage of enabling legislation giving Baltimore City the authority it seeks is in keeping with the actions of the Maryland State Legislature in granting Montgomery County like authority in 2006 to conduct a pilot automated speed limit enforcement program in residential areas and in school zones with speed limits of 35 mph or less and similar automated speed enforcement programs are also being initiated in Chevy Chase Village and the cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg, Maryland.
In March 2007, Montgomery County launched Safe Speed, the first automated speed enforcement program in Maryland. The Safe Speed program will initially involve 6 mobile speed enforcement vans equipped with radar cameras. The mobile units will rotate through designated speed enforcement zones that meet the location and speed requirements. Additional cameras will be added at a later date. The cameras will photograph vehicles traveling more than 10 mph above the posted speed limit. There will be an initial 30-day warning period during which violators will be issued warnings by mail. At the end of the warning period, citations will be issued.
At the program's inauguration, the Montgomery County Executive stated that the goal was to ensure safer streets - "speeding is a serious traffic problem that increases the risks of crashes, injuries and deaths - with the introduction of the Safe Speed program, we intend to make Montgomery County safer for both pedestrians and motorist."
In seeking state enabling legislation, Baltimore City hopes to provide equal protection for our pedestrians and motorists as well as the many visitors and workers that navigate the streets of our bustling city each and every day.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body respectfully requests the Honorable Chairs and Members of the Baltimore City Senate and House Delegations to the 2008 Maryland General Assembly to sponsor legislation to grant authority to Baltimore City to implement an automated speed enforcement program and urges the Governor to support this legislation to protect our residential and school communities from unsafe vehicular traffic.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Governor, the Honorable Chairs and Members of the Senate and House Delegations to the Maryland General Assembly, the Mayor, the Director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation, the Director of the Baltimore City Department of Planning, the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of State Relations, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
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