The County Commission approved 10-3 a proposal to install cameras on streets surrounding 206 schools located in its administrative jurisdiction, such as Kendall and Westchester, and does not include municipalities such as Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables or Hialeah that have their own governments.
The contract was awarded to the company Reedspeed Georgia, which, as agreed, will assume the installation, maintenance and costs of the photo-ticket security system.
According to the report, the camera system could detect a driver speeding through school zones and will send the offender’s information to the police before validating the fine. The fine would then be mailed to the vehicle owner’s address.
Current traffic rules state that a police officer can issue a ticket for any speed over 15 MPH in a school zone, but the camera will take a photo and issue a ticket when it detects 11 MPH or more over the speed limit.
According to the project’s sponsor, Commissioner Anthony Rodríguez, the fine will be $100. Of that figure, $41 will go to the County, $40 to the school district and other funds, and the remaining $19 to the contractor.
Penalties imposed through this system will not generate negative points on the driver’s license. It also won’t affect your car insurance, as explained.
The contract with the Reedspeed Georgia firm will be for a total of six years, but after each cycle the County can choose not to renew it without any penalty.
antagonistic postures
Commissioners opposed to the measure criticized the step taken in the county legislative body, among them René García, who in statements to DIARIO LAS AMÉRCIAS asked: “How are we going to award a contract of 250 million dollars to a company without going to bidding? ?”
“Then we will have questions about how this program will be administered and who will receive the fines,” he said.
The cameras are expected to help combat dangerous driving around school campuses while generating revenue for the County.
For his part, Miami-Dade Public Safety Chief James Reyes estimates that, over the six years of the contract, the cameras could generate about $144 million for the County and $71 million for RedSpeed Georgia.
This initiative in the county took into account the new state law HB 657, enacted last year, which allows local governments to enforce speed limits in school zones.
According to the law, the cameras would be recording 30 minutes before classes start and 30 minutes after dismissal.
Opposition in the Commission
The initiative was not approved unanimously in the Commission. Legislators René García, Eileen Higgins and Raquel Regalado voted “no.” García also told DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS that the program would be “an exchange of our freedoms for more security.”
He stated that another point that does not satisfy him is that the awarding of the contract without a tender “was done in a few months” and, he assured, that those who “promoted this allege that a normal tender would have taken one or two years, and they wanted to do it fast”.
García also indicated that the Miami-Dade School Board did not give its opinion on the contract and some of its members would disagree with the installation of cameras in the schools of their respective districts. DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS awaits a statement on the matter from the president of the Miami-Dade School Board, Mari Tere Rojas.
Meanwhile, Commissioner García pointed out: “There was no transparency here, although the contract was given in a legal manner,” who also cited that the company that will execute the program “is from a small city outside of Florida, with about 66,000 residents.” . He also questioned that he does not know the type of technology the company uses and if it is of Chinese origin.
Florida Legislature debates bill (SB 1464, HB 1363) that would establish new reporting standards for data collected by traffic cameras and ban the use of camera systems made in whole or in part with parts from Chinese manufacturers .
The measure would legally reinforce three measures that Governor Ron DeSantis validated last year, in order to “counter the malignant influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the state of Florida.”
Meanwhile, García asked Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to “veto that project” for “the good of the community.” “I always voted against red light cameras when I was in the state Legislature,” she emphasized.
This newspaper tried to communicate by telephone and left messages on Commissioner Anthony Rodríguez’s answering machine to find out more details about the project, but we did not receive a response.
What the community thinks
Rosario Milan, a Cuban who works in a cafeteria with a small window for selling coffee, told DIARIO LAS AMÉRICAS that she supports the measure because a neighbor of her condominium lost her son a few years ago after being hit by a vehicle a few steps from her. school.
“There are people who do not respect the signs (speed reduction signs) and drive like crazy people,” he said. “They should put those cameras in all schools.”
But there are those who do not think the same. This is the case of Osmany González, a barber from the Kendall sector, who was upset by the announcement of the new program.
“Here they want to get our money in any way. “That’s to fill someone’s pockets,” he stated, while another professional colleague, who did not identify himself, made gestures of approval.
What you should know
- Some 206 school zones have been identified, all of them are in the area directly managed by Miami-Dade, where the security cameras will be installed, and does not include municipalities such as Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables or Hialeah that have their own governments.
- The devices will only issue tickets to those drivers who travel 11 MPH over the speed limit, which is 15 MPH in a school zone.
- The penalty will be set at $100 and no points will be added to your driver’s license. It won’t affect car insurance either.
- The contract with the company RedSpeed USA is for six years and could be extended if so determined by the County. According to what was said, there will be no financial penalties if the Miami-Dade Government decides to suspend it after that period.
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