News Summary
Pawtucket city officials are addressing traffic concerns in school zones as the new school year nears. Improvements to the school zone traffic camera program include new signage and a clearer understanding of operating times. Motorists have expressed frustration over confusion regarding speed limits and fines. The changes aim to enhance safety for students while maintaining awareness on speed regulations. With significant revenue generated from the cameras, the city is also responding to mixed feelings from residents regarding the balance between safety and revenue generation.
Pawtucket city officials are taking decisive action in response to traffic concerns as the new school year approaches. Following numerous complaints regarding the school zone traffic camera program, the city is set to implement improvements that aim to better inform motorists and enhance safety in school zones.
Motorists have aired frustrations over the operating times of school zone speed cameras and the lack of clear signage indicating when these cameras are active. Under the current regulations, the school zone speed limit stands at 20 mph, with fines being issued to drivers exceeding this limit by 11 mph. Tickets can be issued for speeds as low as 31 mph when the cameras are in operation, underlining the importance of compliance in these critical areas.
The city has revealed that the school zone speed cameras operate for 11 hours a day on weekdays throughout the school year, totaling 180 days of operation. The ticketing process is set to recommence on the first day of the school year, August 27, 2025. These measures aim to protect students as they arrive and depart from school.
Recent financial data highlights the revenue generated by the speed camera initiative. In the past year, the city reported approximately $52,000 more per month in revenue from these cameras compared to the previous year. Overall, the city’s speed zone and red-light camera programs have amassed $20.5 million in revenue as of May 2025, indicating the significant financial impact of these programs.
As part of the enhancements to the program, new signage will be installed to indicate the operating times of school zone cameras prior to the start of the school year. This effort is aimed at reducing confusion among drivers and increasing awareness around speed regulations in school areas. So far in 2025, Pawtucket Police have issued 51,382 speed tickets in school zones, underscoring the level of enforcement taking place.
Current camera installations include locations on Central Avenue and near multiple local schools such as the Pawtucket School Annex and St. Cecilia’s School. Additional cameras are strategically placed at Walcott Street near St. Raphael Academy, Broadway near Winters Elementary School, Newport Avenue near St. Teresa Catholic Elementary School, and East Avenue near Shea High School.
New camera installations on Central Avenue are currently in a 30-day warning phase, allowing motorists to receive alerts without immediate fines until this phase concludes on September 29, 2025. Speed enforcement within school zones operates from Monday to Friday, between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., and no citations are issued on weekends or holidays. The fines for overspeeding in these designated areas are set at $50 per ticket, and notably, these citations do not affect insurance rates or driving records.
Local residents have expressed mixed feelings regarding the extended operating hours of the speed cameras, raising concerns about the potential prioritization of revenue generation over genuine safety improvement for schoolchildren. The upcoming changes and implementations are an attempt by city officials to ensure that safety remains the primary focus while addressing ongoing community concerns.
As Pawtucket prepares for the new school year, these developments are expected to foster a safer environment for students, increase awareness about speed regulations, and improve cooperation between local authorities and residents.
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Additional Resources
- The Valley Breeze: Signs for Pawtucket’s Speed Camera Zones
- Turn to 10: 50,000 School Speed Zone Tickets Issued in Pawtucket
- WPRI: School Zone Speed Cameras Back Online
- Providence Business News: Pawtucket Adds Additional Speed Cameras
- Providence Journal: Pawtucket Speed Camera Tickets
- Wikipedia: Speed Camera
- Google Search: Speed Camera Programs
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Speed Camera
- Google News: Pawtucket Speed Cameras
