Newark Police: Speed cameras lead to declines in speeding violations

Lieutenant Gregory D’Elia with the Newark Police Department said regarding the city’s speed camera program that they are acting as a deterrent and people are starting to reduce their speeds in the areas that they publish they are going to be at.

Newark is recording measurable declines in speeding violations following the deployment of automated speed enforcement cameras across multiple neighborhood roadways. The initiative, managed through the Newark Police Department, targets specific corridors identified through municipal traffic studies approved by the City Council.

Speed Violations Drop Across Casho Mill Road and Hillside Road

The electronic speed enforcement units operate with an initial warning period before issuing formal fines to motorists. During that phase, the city recorded 60 percent fewer violations.

Additional deployment sites have yielded similar downward trends in excessive speeds. Hillside Road registered a 41 percent reduction in excessive speeding violations after the camera installation, while Capitol Trail recorded a roughly 42 percent decrease in similar infractions.

Casho Mill Road is right in front of a school, and we’re seeing people drive slower through that area that were speeding constantly. We didn’t just come up with these areas just because, hey, that’s a good spot to put a camera. All of the locations for these cameras that were approved by council were all based on our speed studies prior to that.

Lieutenant Gregory D’Elia, Newark Police Department

Targeted Safety Improvements for Pedestrians and Drivers

Police officials emphasize that enforcement locations are selected strictly on data rather than arbitrary placement. D’Elia noted that corridors such as Kirkwood Highway suffer from excessive travel speeds on straightaways, posing risks to pedestrians as well as motorists.

It does look like it’s working. That’s the goal, right? It’s really to get people to slow down. It gets people to be safer. It’s to get people to not only drive their cars, but it’s also the pedestrians, D’Elia said, highlighting children walking to and from local schools.

City Seeks Second Camera After Ongoing Speed Studies

The city intends to perform ongoing speed studies to determine whether the program yields lasting behavioral changes among motorists over an extended period. Building on the initial safety data from Casho Mill Road, Hillside Road, and Capitol Trail, city officials are preparing to formally request a second camera for the enforcement program from the City Council.