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Arlington expanded its school-zone speed camera network in late January 2025, installing eight additional cameras as part of an effort to discourage speeding and improve traffic safety.
The new cameras are located at:
- Northbound 700 block of North George Mason Drive
- Northbound 1600 block of North Glebe Road
- Westbound 4100 block of Lorcom Lane
- Southbound 2500 block of South Arlington Ridge Road
- Eastbound 5800 block of Williamsburg Boulevard
- Southbound 100 block of North McKinley Road
- Eastbound 3500 block of 2nd Street South
- Northbound 1600 block of North Veitch Street
Flashing beacons alert drivers when the cameras are operating. The devices record speeds and can result in tickets, but they are active only during school arrival and dismissal periods when the beacons are flashing.
The Arlington County Police Department launched its PhotoSPEED program in August 2024 with cameras at 10 school-zone locations. Police Chief Andy Penn said funding was available for 18 cameras, which are now installed near 17 public schools. He said future expansion will depend on the next budget.
“This is a tool to modify behaviors and to deter speeding as well as increase transportation safety,” Penn said.
Virginia lawmakers authorized localities to install speed cameras in school and construction zones in 2020. Arlington selected its sites after evaluating factors such as installation feasibility, visibility and whether cameras could clearly capture the flashing beacons. Some potential locations presented structural obstacles, Penn said.
Between Sept. 26 and Dec. 23, 2024, Arlington’s cameras generated 13,627 tickets.
Officials are still gathering information to measure the program’s effectiveness. Penn said the county could examine changes in crash numbers or compare how many tickets are issued over similar periods. He also cited a 2020 Department of Transportation study indicating that speed cameras could reduce crashes by 50 percent.
“This is early on in monitoring data,” Penn said. “Once we have enough to be analyzed, we’ll know the impact.”