Last week I got a nasty surprise in the mail, a fine for a speeding violation in East Providence. I got nailed by one of the new school zone speed cameras that just went live, and I’m not the only one, not by a longshot.
According to NBC 10, East Providence is making money hand over fist with these new speed and red-light cameras. In fact, officials say they’ve brought in $294,000 just in the first three months!
After a warning period of seven weeks the cameras went live in January and started sending out $50 tickets to drivers caught speeding in five different school zones, and at red lights.
There are signs warning drivers of the cameras, but here are the locations of the cameras so you can keep in mind to slow down. The cameras are active between 7am and 4pm weekdays.
- Riverside Middle School on Forbes Street
- Kent Heights School on Pawtucket Avenue
- St. Margaret’s School on Pawtucket Avenue
- East Providence High School on Pawtucket Avenue
- St. Mary’s Bay View Academy on Pawtucket Avenue
According to the East Providence Chief of Police Christopher Francesconi the cameras are there to make drivers slow down, and it’s not just a money grab.
He said, “One of our main complaints we get is speeding. We have people calling us all the time about speeding issues and this was just one way to try and address those issues, especially in our school zones when we have school-age children in that area.”
Source: NBC 10
Photo: Getty Images