CapitolWire

A Philadelphia lawmaker says speed cameras in the state’s biggest city have been an overwhelming success and the use of the technology should be deployed statewide.

Currently, speed cameras are only allowed in Philadelphia and in highway construction zones. Both the work zone and the Philadelphia speed camera programs led to stark changes in driver behavior, state and local data shows.

Speeding violations on Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia dropped 95% after enforcement cameras were installed and fatal and serious crashes dropped 21%. Crashes involving pedestrians were cut 50%.

“What was once considered one of the most dangerous roads in the country became far safer because of this technology. But under current law, Philadelphia is still the only municipality allowed to use it,” Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, said in a memo seeking support for the legislation.

Pennsylvania’s pilot program for speed cameras in work zones showed dramatic decreases in speeding in construction areas, including a 38% drop in speeding and a 50% drop in work zone crashes. Shapiro signed Act 38 in December 2023, making the work zone speed camera program permanent.

A December 2025 report by the Local Government Commission pointed to PennDOT data showing that there are more than 1,000 crashes a year on local roads blamed on speeding. The report differentiated between speeding crashes and speeding-related crashes. Speeding-related crashes are those where one driver was traveling too fast for conditions. Speeding crashes are those in which at least one of the drivers was exceeding the posted speed limit.

Amy Sturges said at a May 2025 hearing conducted by the Local Government Commission that speeding in neighborhoods “is consistently the most common concern” raised by constituents, Amy Sturges, deputy executive director for advocacy for the Pennsylvania Municipal League.

Nationwide, there are more than 350 communities in 22 states with speed cameras operating, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. About half of the speed camera programs in the country began in the last seven years.

The Local Government Commission noted that despite their increasing popularity among elected officials, speed cameras remain controversial due to concerns that municipal and police officials will begin to rely on the programs to generate revenue. The commission pointed to reporting in Ohio showing that some communities there use speed cameras to generate as much as 80% of their local government revenue.

Police radar ban

The new proposal comes as efforts to combat speeding statewide have long been stymied by resistance from lawmakers concerned about constituent anger over the potential that local police will begin operating speed traps. Pennsylvania only allows state police to use radar.

Trade groups representing the state’s mayors and municipal leaders have lobbied unsuccessfully for years to end a state ban on the use of radar.

The Senate approved legislation in 2021 that would allow local police to use radar for speed enforcement, but the measure died in the House. In March, a bipartisan group of senators announced they have reintroduced legislation, Senate Bill 1237, to allow local police to use radar. The bill is now in the Transportation Committee, which has not considered it yet.