Washington D.C. Plans to Add 100 Additional Traffic Cameras, Jack Up Traffic Fines to $1,000

I’m thinking the city of Washington, D.C., is targeting the wrong people.

The District of Columbia, host to exorbitant liberty and financial crimes against the citizens of America, will be targeting traffic violators with an additional 100 speed cameras and jacking up traffic violations to the tune of $1,000.

Mayor Murial Bowser (do you have to ask her political affiliation?) has revealed a plan “as part of her commitment to eliminating traffic fatalities.” The plan is called “Vision Zero” and “lays out strategies for  enforcement, public education and street engineering, and also is expected to expand the city’s sidewalk and bicycle network.”

“Any loss of life is unacceptable especially if there are things we can do systematically to prevent those losses. That’s why we talk not only about reducing traffic fatalities but getting to zero,” Bowser said at a Wednesday morning news conference. “We can do this by being steadfast in our investments and steadfast in implementing those investments.”

As part of the plan, the city will “deploy” 100 additional traffic cameras to punish “speeding, red light, stop sign, crosswalk and gridlock law breakers.”  Transportation officials have backed away from the 100 figure, but will not reveal how many cameras they expect to install.

The city currently operates 153 traffic cameras, including 97 speed, 42 red-light, 7 stop sign, and 7 oversize or weight cameras, according to the Vision Zero plan.

And what better way to accompany an expansion of the surveillance state than some new crimes!

On Friday, the agency announced plans for 20 traffic offenses that are either brand-new or for which fines will increase substantially.

Drivers traveling in excess of 25mph will face fines of up to $1,000. The current ceiling is $300.

AAA Mid-Atlantic, which represents thousands of motorists in the Washington area has called the proposed fines “exorbitant” and a burden on low- and modest- income drivers.

Police data reveal that traffic fatalities have dropped from 62 in 1995 to 26 last year, but the rate of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities is surpassing the number of motorist or passenger killed in accidents.