As the city enters back-to-school season, 24 new speed-tracking cameras have been posted in 11 school zones across the district.

The school zone cameras will be operational from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on “any day that school is in session,” said Officer Andrew Distelhurst, the administrator handling day-to-day operations in the automated traffic enforcement program.

A 30-day grace period will start Aug. 28 to coincide with the first day of school; warnings will be issued. Fines of $50 will begin Monday, Sept. 29.

According to Distelhurst, state law (RI Gen L § 31-41.3-4) authorizes speeding in school zones to be policed with cameras. He that signs must be posted at least 100 feet ahead of the school zone and that there must be four 3’ by 4’ signs in each direction approaching the zone. However, Distelhurst mentioned that some signs may be further out than the 100 feet due to infrastructure issues preventing the installation of a pole.

RI Gen L § 31-41.3-3 defines a school zone as a quarter-mile radius around any type of school.

School zone speed limits vary across the city; some are 20 mph while others are 25 mph. The school zone speed limit on city roads is 20 mph; on state roads it is 25 mph. Fines will be issued to drivers traveling more than 10 mph over the limit.

Mayor Frank Picozzi said Tuesday he has received a flurry of mixed calls over the cameras. Some callers laud the effort to enforce the speed limit while others have questioned why the zones extend to major thoroughfares seemingly far from schools. Picozzi noted that the cameras are all within the radius set by law.

Even though the cameras won’t be activated until today, many motorists have slowed down.

“We’re not asking people to get out of their cars and crawl,” said Picozzi observing that the city is looking for them to obey the law.  

Altumint, a visual technology company based in Maryland that specializes in community safety, is contracted for the school zone cameras, as well as the red light cameras that were installed in June, as previously reported by the Beacon.

Altumint has been in operation for over a decade and has developed 75 programs in 11 states. The city has a five-year lease with the company that will begin when the last camera is installed. No city funds will be used, as citation fines will cover the cost of the lease. Altumint will also pay for the installation and maintenance of the traffic cameras.

For both the school zone cameras and red light cameras, Altumint first reviews the footage to see if the recorded violation fits the Police Department’s criteria. A WPD officer must manually approve or cancel every violation that comes through as the “last line of defense” against errors, according to Distelhurst.  

Distelhurst said he’s received “several dozen” phone calls over the “last couple of weeks” about the newly installed cameras. He wants to share information with the public so that community members are informed. “We want to be as transparent as we can,” he said.

From residents’ phone calls, Distelhurst concluded that “people are super receptive” to the program “and they see the need as well.”  

Bus cameras

In addition to the school zone cameras to reduce speeding, cameras have been added to the exterior of school buses. These cameras are designed to catch drivers who pass buses that are stopped with their flashing lights on as students enter or exit the bus.

According to Distelhurst, state legislation mandates that, starting in 2027, all school buses in the state will be equipped with exterior cameras.

“Having kids myself,” he said, “the last thing we want to do is have a kid get hurt.” He said the WPD will not be installing interior bus cameras.

Red light cameras

There are currently 15 red light cameras operating at five “accident-prone” intersections across the city, Distelhurst said. He said the WPD has no plans to install more red light cameras.

The locations of the red light cameras are Greenwich Avenue at Main Avenue, Bald Hill Road at East Avenue, Jefferson Boulevard at Coronado Road and Kilvert Street, Post Road at Airport Road and Warwick Avenue at West Shore Road and Airport Road.

The grace period for red light violations has ended, and the fine is $85.

“I think the programs are a great idea,” said Distelhurst. “We can’t be everywhere all the time.”

Distelhurst hopes the programs will increase public safety and help the WPD keep speeds down more effectively. “If it slows people down just a couple of miles per hour … we’re helping people,” he said. 

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Aug. 28 at 4:15 p.m.