Melanie_Alnwick's Blog

traffic cameras make just that, traffic. we all just slow down before the camera and speed up afterwards. it doesn't change anyone's driving behavior for more than a block.

If you know of any camera locations where people are crawling by the cameras.. please let me know. I'll pass them onto the study's author. He said he'd look into it.

People crawl by the cameras on Randolph Rd. I live 1/2 a mile from the camera's and drive by almost everyday. And like you demonstrated on-air going downhill you have to brake to avoid a ticket.

One can easily hit 45 and 50 going downhill, to make it down the hill below 40 you have to stop using the gas pedal as soon as you pass the light on Rocking Horse Dr. Naturally gravity increases your speed going down a hill, making everyone downhill and past the cameras. Randolph Rd. already suffers from congestion going west in the afternoon rush and these cameras increase the crawling traffic starting at Parklawn Dr. (about a mile away). At times I take Twinbrook PKWY just to avoid Randolph Rd camera traffic.

Thanks for showing how these cameras are adding to the congestion. I have to say that the cameras across the street from Wheaton High School on the same road have seemed to have reduced vehicular and pedestrian accidents.

The Calverton community had been calling on the county to do something about speeders and accidents for several years. The county's actions are working. One weakness of this news report is that the data are bad. Thirty eight crashes in 27 months is probably off be a factor of 3-5. Most crashes were a single speeding car losing control, ripping up yards; knocking down signs, fences, and mailboxes; and then driving off - no police report. Over that period I had at least 12 accidents that affected my front yard, only two reported because the car was too damaged to drive away. And I didn't have the worst of it. Ever since the road surface was torn off and the mobile camera unit began enforcement, there has not been a single crash in my front yard in more than a year.

Check out the speed signs on Fisher Ave., Poolesville, MD. Where the speed cameras are the zone is apparently 30 mph, but you can see the signs up ahead that say 40 mph. So it's 40 on one side of the road, Eastbound, and 30 mph on the other side, Westbound. This is a real ripoff. I wish the signs matched the speed cameras.

I applaud your report.
Both I and my wife were caught on the bottom of the hill Randolph. In my case it was when MC was still using the mobile unit, my wife's was clocked by the permanent cameras.

There is no doubt in my (and probably hundred others) mind that this specific set of cameras are nothing but an entrapment for revenue generation. Just put the car in neutral and let it slide down the hill and it will reach a velocity that exceeds the speed limit.

When I received the ticket and went online to see the enlarged images, I was able to establish the distance the car passed (using the cracks on the asphalt) and I even call into doubt the accuracy of the system. I considered appealing the ticket, but determined it was not worth the wasted hours of bureaucracy biased traffic adjudication that puts the burden of disproof on the driver.

We learned our lesson, and have pretty much mapped the location of most cameras in our regular driving routes. When possible, simply look for alternative roads. When it is not possible, we, like many other drivers are forced to conscionably brake to slower than natural speed that is appropriate to the road condition, inviting a rear-end accident.

Finally a green comment. Slowing at the bottom of the hill just before the incline on the other side also unnecessarily increase gasoline consumption, energy waste, and pollutes our air.

Maryland officials once again have it all wrong. They are treating the symptom rather than the problem. Speed is not the issue, but rather traffic congestion. People speed because our roads are poor, poorly planned, have not kept up with urban/suburban growth. As a result, our time to get from Point A to point B is hampered and when an individual sees clear road ahead they speed to make up time. Funds would be better spent on "smart" traffic lights and controls rather than the "dumb" 1900's traffic technology pervasive throughout the state, "smart" speed limit signs that alter a roads speed based on density and road design limits and most importantly driver awareness programs to educate drivers on more efficient road use such as moving to the right to let drivers pass, maintaining minimum speed on major roads, letting left turn signal drivers on two ways roads to cross oncoming traffic before proceeding when light turns green, etc. etc. While we need new roads, we need to use the roads we currently have more efficiently. Lights designed to improve traffic flow rather than impede flow. Traffic lights that turn green when no cars approaching light. The goal is to move cars from Point A to Point B in less time. This saves gas, improves quality of life, improves air quality and would result in less congestion thus reducing the statistical incidence for cars colliding with other cars.

Imagine if strict speed limits were enforced tomorrow on I95 or the Beltway if speed cameras were installed. The city would come to a standstill! We would suffer 24 hour non-stop gridlock and o

There is one on Wayne Ave near Sligo Creek Park. Average speed on that road is 40mph and post speed is 30mph. Ppl do slow down and speed right back up. To make it worse, at the bottom of the hill there is a hard turn and right away is a red light intersection with one of the two lanes become a turn only. The unexpected few have to scramble onto the right lane to go strait.

My wife got a ticket here but going up hill which is not very bad. And we never got the first bill. When we came back from our trip that's when we saw the second bill. She called them, their reply was they don't care if we received the first bill or not but we could wait for the next bill which will keep adding on the late fee.

It's not about the speeding or accidents, it's about generating the money.

I totally think the cameras can help, but it's not the only solution. I've gotten a ticket.

FYI - If you get a speed camera ticket, you have an unreasonable time frame to pay the ticket. If you don't pay it in time, they tack on late fees. Bleeding hearts have no chance on fighting the late fees. Totally unreasonable! Maryland "Free State" not true.

MCP and other surrounding jurisdictions need better solutions, and they need to allow the people of the county,to voice their opinions, and actually take the time to listen to the people.

There is three different posted speed signs on several roads that are arranging from 40, to 30, to 25 and while driving within those changing time frames (every two or three minutes or btw cars) are causing more issues. Not all drivers can control their speed that quickly, having (four cars in front of you) without causing serious traffic jams and more accidents. There should be posted speed signs for a specific areas (not including school zones, hospital zones, and fire stations), that are reasonable SPACED out. That needs to be checked into. Speed signs need to be adjusted.

Try, listening to us more often, and we will try to donate to your organization more often, when needed, for better causes.

The video that goes with the story shows what's happening: people look at the camera, hit the brakes, then speed right back up. The "hit the brakes" part is dangerous because it can cause rear-end collisions.

The Insurance Industry recently came up with a "study" that implies some kind of safety-related improvement is going on in Maryland. Read it. It is based on THREE HOURS worth of data collected at each test location -- a pathetically small sample. Which days were selected for the tiny sample? Well, IIHS doesn't tell you. If the results aren't repeatable or verifiable, the study is not scientific.

So what is it? It's marketing. The insurance industry has a direct financial interest in promoting speed cameras. Along with the Maryland "study," IIHS simultaneously released results from the speed camera program in Arizona. There, the hundreds of thousands of tickets issued just happen to generate license points.

So the "study" helps promote a program that generates tens of millions of dollars worth of raised insurance premiums -- i.e., increased profits for the insurance industry. As the saying goes: follow the money. That's what this is all about.