DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Drivers speeding through Delray Beach school zones are officially on notice.
The city has activated automated speed cameras near nine schools, launching a 30-day warning period before $100 fines begin.
The program, which started Dec. 1, issues warnings to drivers traveling more than 11 miles per hour over the school-zone limit during designated hours. After the grace period ends, citations will be mailed automatically. Each notice includes the date, time, location, speed and photo evidence.
Families living near the school zones say the initiative is overdue.
“You can see there’s a lot of traffic that comes through here," said Gregory Clay.
Clay says the traffic in his mother’s neighborhood is a growing concern.
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“There’s a church school right up the street there. There are always concerns about people that come speeding—not paying attention," he said.
He’s speaking about drivers who he says pay little attention to speed limits or traffic signs near schools.
“We have a lot of kids that end up having to walk to school. You always worry about their safety," he said.
Clay, who regularly visits his mother in Delray Beach, praised the new enforcement cameras now operating around the nine participating schools.
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“I think it’s very much needed. We see a lot of traffic coming through here and it seems to increase by the days," he said.
Teachers share similar concerns. Christina Morris said she welcomes the rollout.
“I think it’s a plus in every way… It’s a lot of speeding in here," she said.
The schools included in the program are Carver Middle, Pine Grove Elementary, Trinity Delray, Plumosa School of the Arts, Village Academy, Banyan Creek Elementary, Mount Olive Christian, St. Vincent Ferrer and Daughter of Zion Junior Academy.
Each has its own specific enforcement times tied to start and dismissal schedules.
Similar speed-camera programs operate in other Florida counties, though not without pushback from some drivers who argue signage is confusing and the appeals process is difficult to navigate.
Republican State Rep. Susan Valdes expressed concerns about those issues earlier this year.
“We definitely do not want to run pieces of legislation that are just good sound bites, good ideas and a challenge to implement. I don’t like gotchas."
Despite criticism, studies have shown school-zone cameras reduce speeding and improve safety around campuses.
Clay agrees the potential benefits outweigh the complaints.
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