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State and local police will gain clear authority to enforce speed limits and other traffic laws on the George Washington Memorial Parkway beginning July 1, although drivers may not see an immediate surge in patrols.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed Senate Bill 81 in April, allowing Virginia and local law enforcement officers to issue citations on federal highways in Northern Virginia. The law also permits local agencies to seek federal approval for automated speed cameras.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell introduced the measure for a second consecutive legislative session amid concerns about speeding, particularly along the parkway south of Alexandria in his district.
Local and state officers already could respond to felonies on the road, Surovell said, but their authority over traffic violations was unclear. The new law explicitly allows them to issue tickets for offenses such as speeding and driving while intoxicated.
The National Park Service owns and manages the parkway, which follows the Potomac River for more than 25 miles from Turkey Run Park in McLean to Mount Vernon. The U.S. Park Police remains its primary law enforcement agency.
Surovell has argued that traffic enforcement is inadequate on the southern portion. A study completed in 2021 found that most motorists exceeded posted limits of 35 to 45 mph and identified speed as a likely leading factor in many of the 389 crashes recorded from 2005 through 2018.
He has linked the parkway’s congestion and safety problems to a 2005 Pentagon decision to double Fort Belvoir’s size, bringing more commuters to the I-95 corridor and the parkway.
“The road is just handling traffic volumes it was never designed to handle,” Surovell said. He warned that without sufficient enforcement, more people could be injured or killed.
The National Park Service has made design changes, including revising traffic patterns at the Belle Haven Road and Belle View Boulevard intersections. Surovell, Del. Paul Krizek and Rep. Don Beyer have continued pushing for stronger enforcement measures in southeastern Fairfax County.
SB 81 stalled in the House Transportation Committee during the previous legislative session. This spring, it initially passed the General Assembly without language allowing localities to pursue speed cameras after the House removed that provision. The Senate resisted the change before accepting it following negotiations.
Spanberger later returned the legislation with a substitute restoring the camera provision. The Senate approved her version 24-15, followed by a 66-31 House vote on April 22.
Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck welcomed the bill’s passage and signature, saying it provides clear authority for public-safety efforts if the Park Police agrees to cooperate.
Patrol plans remain uncertain
How the Park Police will coordinate with the Virginia State Police and departments in Fairfax County, Alexandria and Arlington has not been determined.
Fairfax County police previously discussed a possible traffic-enforcement agreement with the Park Police. The department is now reviewing the policy changes, training, operational guidance and internal approvals needed before July.
County officers will be able to enforce relevant state laws and local ordinances within Fairfax County’s jurisdiction along the parkway, the department said. However, the U.S. Park Police will remain primarily responsible for the road.
Virginia State Police has no immediate plans to increase its presence unless the National Park Service asks for assistance. The agency said its patrol strategy prioritizes interstates and other limited-access highways with the highest traffic volumes and numbers of fatal or serious-injury crashes.
State police said officers could be directed to the parkway when staffing and operational priorities allow. For now, the agency has not received a request from the National Park Service and is not actively patrolling the road.
Speed cameras still require federal consent
Although the new state law creates a path for local agencies to pursue speed cameras, installing them on federal land would require National Park Service authorization.
Virginia currently permits localities to operate speed cameras in school and work zones. Separate legislation sponsored by Del. Holly Seibold and signed April 13 will expand eligible locations in Northern Virginia to include designated roads with significant pedestrian-safety problems.
Virginia State Police said its own camera program remains limited to work zones.
The National Park Service has not indicated whether it would approve cameras on the GW Parkway. The agency said any infrastructure proposed for parkland would undergo applicable federal reviews and that it has no speed-camera announcement to make.
Calling parkway safety a top priority, the agency said it supports technologies that encourage responsible driving and will continue working with law enforcement and transportation partners to prevent crashes. The Park Police will also continue enforcing applicable laws for motorists, visitors, cyclists and pedestrians.
Beyer reiterated his support for parkway speed cameras during a recent ribbon-cutting celebrating the rehabilitation of the northern section in McLean and Arlington.
In 2025, he introduced the Parkway Safety and Reinvestment Act, which would direct revenue from cameras on National Park Service highways toward camera installation and repairs or construction and maintenance on the road where each citation was issued.
Beyer described the fines as a potential source of maintenance money paid only by motorists who choose not to follow the speed limit.
His office said he promoted the proposal during a House Natural Resources Committee hearing in March, but no vote has been scheduled. The office argued that allowing the Park Service to retain speeding-fine revenue could help slow drivers and improve safety.