In College Park, Speed Cameras Get Nights and Weekends Off

Good news, speed camera haters. You are now free to drive as fast as you want at night and on weekends. Well, not exactly. You still have the police to contend with, but you are no longer at risk of getting caught by a speed camera in College Park.

As of 8 p.m. on March 18, the city surreptitiously amended the camera's operational hours within the - that is, those located within a half mile from the University of Maryland -  from 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The change affects all but one camera, which is located on Rhode Island Avenue. This camera was already operating on limited hours, since it is near a K-12 school zone and is therefore held to different restrictions under Maryland law. 

The change came after a number of people expressed confusion at the inconsistent operating times, said Director of Public Services Bob Ryan. He said that though operating the cameras near UMd. 24 hours a day is permissible by law, city staff decided to make cameras consistent to avoid having two different sets of hours.

The mayor and council were informed of the change during an executive session at their March 22 meeting, said Councilman Patrick Wojahn (Dist. 1), four days after the cameras switched to their new times.

Though the council ultimately agreed to the amended schedule, Wojahn said some council members were more enthusiastic about making the change than others.

For his part, Wojahn said he was hesitant to support the switch, since the area surrounding the university tends to be a 24-hour environment. Games and other events on campus mean people are liable to be crossing the street well after 8 p.m. Moreover, Paint Branch Trail, which abuts Route 1, attracts as many pedestrians and cyclists on weekends as it does on weekdays.

“Since [the cameras] are intended for pedestrian safety, it seems a little bit arbitrary to limit it to 6 to 8 Monday through Friday,” he said.

Ultimately, the locations and operating times of the speed cameras are still a work in progress, said Mayor Andrew Fellows. He said the objective of the speed cameras has always been to make the streets of College Park safer, and so far, the cameras seem to be doing their job. Nevertheless, the council will continue to discuss the effectiveness of the cameras in the months and years to come, he said.

Though the new times are posted under the "Speed Camera Enforcement" tab on the city website, the council hasn’t been overly eager to spread the word. Wojahn said the goal is for people to continue to drive safely, regardless of whether the watchful eye of the speed camera happens to be open.  

“Despite confusion, we didn’t want to advertise that people are now able to speed at certain times and get away with it,” he said.