I-95 just North of the DC Beltway around the MD Route 198 Exit

They are using photo vans for enforcement. The first batches of tickets should either just be in, or ready to hit the mail if you assume a 3 week processing period.

I have seen the signs and read about them in the paper. But I had same experience as far as folks not slowing down one bit. I had read about them so I too was looking around for the cameras but slowing down just the same not wanting to take any chances.

Have not seen.

I guess MD needs a new stream of revenue. I don't see the need for increased enforcement there. The work zone is pretty much ringed by concrete dividers, so unless a car is launched over them there is no added danger to the workers.

During the average year 1400 road workers die from being struck from autos speeding through work zones. That averages out to about 5 deaths per day during a normal work week.

You don't hear much about these deaths, but imagine the vast amount of airtime and print that would be expended if these were soldiers or others. It's like you don't hear much about the huge number of people killed every day in traffic accidents - often caused by reckless and speeding drivers - much more so than the drunk driver.

No, I'm not a big fan of cameras either, but I do believe in slowing down in construction zones and protecting those workers so they can go home to the loved ones. Do you?

I worked on the state roads earlier in my career. I worked on a couple of interstate paving/resurfacing/rebuilding projects where the barrels or cones were the only thing separating us from moving vehicles then I agreed with the zone slow down. This is not one of those cases. The entire construction zone in question is surrounded by concrete barriers. The workers are as safe as they possibly can be without canceling the project in its entirety or just closing the entire interstate down in the area of construction. Adding these cameras and slowing the speed from 65 to 55 does nothing to improve the safety of the workers ***in this case***. The only thing the addition of these cameras does is add a revenue stream for the MD state government.

Sorry, I have to agree with j.squared on this one under those circumstances. And if somehow they're still struck by a speeding vehicle doing 65mph, they're not likely to be any more dead than if the vehicle was doing 55.

I'm all for protecting the workers, but it doesn't add up to additional safety, just additional revenue. Here in MD, they've already admitted that they'll be running those work-zone cameras even when no workers are around because "they still need to slow people down". The new law also lets them run cameras in school zones until 8:00pm at night. I guess they need to make sure that those kids who have detention past the dinner-hour get home safe...

For the most part, the work and school-zone limitations were really just a tool to help them pass the cameras on an unsuspecting public.

- Phil

If, as j.squared said, cars were "easily doing 80" in a 65 zone, then they need the cameras and possibly a slew of state troopers to catch these people.

Sounds like Howard County and the school zones. During holidays when schools are closed the local cops are out in droves in front of the various schools. Enforcing the heck out of those slow school zone speed limits.

Wrong. If that were the case then they would need them on every interstate highway in the country. It isn't necessarily unsafe to drive that fast on the highway. Most highways are designed to have vehicles travel on them at a speed significantly higher than our current speed limits.

MD's use of the cameras in this instance is only for revenue. I realized when I drove through there on Tuesday that they didn't even lower the speed limit from 65 to 55 in the work zone. They didn't because the workers are protected by a rung of concrete and most of the areas the construction is taking place in is more than 50 feet from the road. Most of the construction is taking place on the embankments on either side of the highway. The embankments are at least 50 feet from the road and about 20 feet higher than the highway. The construction consists of building a bridge over I-95 for the ICC (Inter County Connector).

On 95, north of 695, the entire area is a posted "photo-enforced" zone. Last week I saw a Jeep Wrangler parked in the median. I noticed this because it was white, had the word Safety on the side and a large light bar on top. Turns out this light bar flashed at a truck barrelling by me (I hope). With the vans and now Jeeps, how can we keep the files updated and current?

The red light camera file on this site only has fixed locations in them. We don't keep track of the mobile locations.

Miss POI

I, too, felt that the work area was very well protected by concrete barriers which separate the workers from the traffic.

There is NO question that Maryland want more revenue.

Take the time to write Gov. O'Malley a short note telling him how unhappy you are with red light/speed/van cameras & how it will influence your voting in the gubernatorial race next year. I believe he's in serious political trouble.

Lastly, I haven't seen ANY speed reduction signs from 65 to 55 mph. If they're there, they're well hidden & I drive that route regularly.

Fred

You are right. I paid close attention to speed limit signs on my way through there this weekend. There is no reduction in speed through the construction zone. The speed through there is 65.