Since Baltimore launched new speed cameras on Interstate 83 two months ago, motorists have received warnings in the mail if they were clocked driving 12 or more miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
But starting July 13, drivers who speed on the Jones Falls Expressway will be fined $40 per violation.
Stretching from Baltimore County to downtown Baltimore, the roadway has been a major source of speeding.
Speed limits on the expressway range from 40 to 55 miles per hour. But when Baltimore’s Department of Transportation conducted a one-week test of a camera on southbound I-83 at 41st Street in March 2020, they recorded 151,897 speeding vehicles, said DOT spokesperson Marly Cardona-Moz.
DOT surveyed six potential locations for speed cameras on I-83, ultimately installing cameras at two of those locations in February: northbound and southbound I-83 at 41st Street.
The cameras were launched April 14, starting a 90-day warning period during which drivers who are recorded speeding have received warnings instead of tickets in the mail.
“We urge you, and anyone that may drive your vehicle, to obey the speed limit and help make our streets safer,” the warning reads.
During the first two weeks of the warning period, DOT issued a total of 55,682 warnings. In the following two weeks, 28,250 warnings were issued.
“All speeding violations require a two-week period of review by trained Photo Enforcement processors and authorized City and Police personnel,” Cardona-Moz said.
Cardona-Moz said the speed enforcement cameras, in addition to other initiatives to encourage drivers to slow down, have resulted in reduced speeds on I-83.
“As we proceed towards the end of the warning phase and implement notices which carry a fine, we anticipate another reduction in speeding vehicles on I-83 in the months following July 13, 2022,” she said.
The 90-day warning period is in place through July 12, meaning any driver recorded speeding 12 or more miles per hour over the limit on or after July 13 could face a $40 fine per violation.
The $40 fine will be issued to drivers regardless of how much they are speeding. Whether a motorist is speeding 70 miles per hour or 100 miles per hour, they will be fined the same amount.
“It is not permitted in Maryland State Law for increased amounts based on speed,” said Cardona-Moz.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that six speed cameras were installed on I-83 and only two are operational. In actuality, DOT surveyed six locations for speed cameras on I-83 but installed cameras at only two of those locations. We regret this error.
