Arizona Department of Public Safety plans to implement a statewide photo enforcement program, which means more speed cameras are coming to a freeway near you.
Beginning Sept. 26, DPS will roll out a total of 100 camera systems comprising 60 stationary speed cameras and 40 mobile speed units, the state agency announced Thursday.
The cameras are set to snap photos of drivers going 10 mph over the speed limit, who will then get a citation in the mail.
The initial deployment of stationary cameras will be in the Phoenix metro area. Officials will use serious injury and fatal collision data, put together by DPS and the Arizona Department of Transportation, to decide camera locations.
Placing cameras on I-10 west of the Phoenix metro area in the eastbound lanes of West Valley cities will be a priority, DPS reported. Officials believe the speed cameras will help slow commercial and non-commercial vehicle traffic from California, which causes a very high rate of collisions because of congestion.
"This portion of I-10 in Goodyear is the most unsafe portion of I-10 from coast to coast," said Goodyear Mayor Jim Cavanaugh. "They [drivers] are coming off of stretches of wide open I-10 going 80, 85 miles an hour."
Goodyear joined Avondale and Litchfield Park last year in getting the state to fund widening I-10 from Loop 101 to Sarival Road four year ahead of schedule. The cities also reached into their coffers to pay $2.7 million not covered by the state for the $150 million project.
Cavanaugh supports putting the cameras on I-10 in the West Valley and said he thinks the combination of widening the freeway and the cameras could improve safety. Since accident data will play a role in where cameras are located, "we'll probably get at least one," he said.
Stationary cameras are also expected at major junctions such as the interchange of interstates 10 and 17, known as the "stack," and at the Interstate 10, Loop 202 and Arizona 51 interchange, known as the "mini-stack."
DPS awarded the contract to operate the cameras to Scottsdale-based Redflex Traffic Systems.
The goal of the program is to have 50 cameras operational by the end of September and 100 by January.
The contract comes three weeks after the Legislature authorized the program as part of the new state budget. Approximately $20 million will be allocated to Redflex for implementation of the program; another $4 million will be allocated to the State Supreme Court Administrative Office of the Courts and $2.173 million will be given to DPS to administer the program.
Gov. Janet Napolitano proposed a statewide photo enforcement program in early 2007. She cited reduced speeds and accident rates on a stretch of Loop 101 where Scottsdale installed cameras.
Rebecca I. Allen can be reached by e-mail at rallen@westvalleyview.com.
