WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — West Palm Beach will soon join Boynton Beach, Wellington and several other cities in Palm Beach County in using speed cameras to crack down on dangerous driving in school zones. City commissioners voted unanimously this week to install the cameras at 21 school locations, including South Olive Elementary.
Parents at South Olive tell WPTV it’s a change that’s long overdue.
“It’s just the best place to take her,” said Taylor Scott, who visits South Olive Park regularly with her daughter, Daisy. She and her friend Faye say they often notice speeding during their strolls around the neighborhood.
“I mean, people just drive so fast,” Taylor said.
“For our children, I think any precaution is good,” Faye added.
The new speed enforcement cameras will issue $100 citations to drivers caught going at least 10 miles per hour over the posted school zone limit. The fines will not add points to a driver’s license, similar to how parking tickets are handled.
Under state law passed in 2023, the city must provide at least 30 days’ notice before ticketing begins. In some cases, cameras will first issue warnings during a grace period before citations are mailed.
Parents like Taylor and Faye say that if the new cameras help make their children’s walks to school safer, the cost is worth it.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe,” Taylor said.
“I think school zones are one thing where the benefits are worth the cost,” Faye added.
The cameras are expected to be installed across all 21 West Palm Beach school zones in the coming months:
1. Bak Middle
2. Bear Lakes Middle
3. Belvedere Elementary
4. Conniston Middle
5. Dreyfoos School of the Arts
6. Egret Lakes Elementary
7. Ephesus Adventist Academy
8. Grassy Waters Elementary
9. The Greene School
10.Indian Ridge
11.Jaega Middle
12.Northboro Elementary
13.Northmoore Elementary
14.Palm Beach Day Academy
15.Palmetto Elementary
16.Palmview Elementary
17.Pleasant City Elementary
18.Rosarian Elementary
19.South Olive Elementary
20.St. Juliana Catholic School
21.Westward Elementary
Commissioners identified these 7 other schools as “requiring further traffic studies and potential roadway signage improvements” before it could meet statutory guidelines:
1. Forest Hill High
2. Oxbridge Academy
3. Palm Beach Lakes High
4. Turning Point Academy
5. Renaissance Charter School
6. Cardinal Newman High
7. St. Ann's Catholic School
With the vote, West Palm joins 11 other Florida municipalities with the installation of the cameras.
The new tech will catch drivers going 10-11 mph over the speed limit— and issue $100 tickets to violators via mail
This comes after changes in Florida law in 2023, which allow for cities to purchase and install these cameras and issue tickets to speeding drivers.
Stay with WPTV for additional details.
