Students and staff headed back to school in Lawrenceville this week may also see new speeding cameras.
On Wednesday, the first day of school in Gwinnett County, the Lawrenceville Police Department, using cameras provided by Blue Line Solutions, LLC, a traffic safety company, will begin checking for speeding motorists, an announcement said.
During a 30-day warning period, those traveling over the speed limit will receive warnings in the mail. Fines and fees, which start Sept. 5, will total $100 for the first offense and $125 for each subsequent offense.
The speed device program is meant to increase safety, the announcement said. City Council approved the program in December 2021.
“Our research has shown positive results and reception in other communities across the state, as much as a 75% overall reduction of speeding in school zones,” City Manager Chuck Warbington said. “Utilizing speed cameras also allows police officers to be more productive in other areas of the City, while still enforcing the law for the safety of our children and educators.”
Cameras will be located near six schools: Benefield Elementary School, Central Gwinnett High School, Discovery High School, Lawrenceville Elementary School, Oakland Meadow School and Winn Holt Elementary School.
New signs including flashing digital readouts will warn drivers of the school zone speed limit. Cameras will identify speeding vehicles, and those driving at least 11 mph over the speed limit will receive a citation by mail. The speed zones will be enforced on school days, one hour before and after school begins and an hour before and after at the end of the school day, the announcement said.
The revenue for the program will be shared between the city and Blue Line Solutions, the city receiving 65%, and Blue Line receiving 35%, Melissa Hardegree, a spokesperson for the city said.
“The city had no out-of-pocket cost to install the cameras and they will be maintained by Blueline Solutions,” Hardegree said.
Other Gwinnett County cities including Norcross, Duluth, Lilburn and Snellville have already implemented school speed zone programs.
A 2020 speed study ordered by the Lawrenceville Police Department showed that the city has problems with speeding in all school zones, the worst at Central Gwinnett High School.
In the last few years, two students and one teacher have been hit by vehicles, Lt. Jake Parker, spokesperson for the police department said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Speeding and inattentive drivers were the primary contributing factors in those cases,” Parker said.
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