Speed Cameras Blinded

It looks like someone was upset over a $40 speed camera ticket in Oldtown Laurel.  A vandal recently painted the lens cover on both speed cameras installed on 7th Street between Main and Montgomery.

I hope the vandal is caught.  I believe that these cameras are always taking pictures on a loop.  Maybe we will get lucky and the vandal's picture was taken holding the spray can.

7th and Main
click to enlarge

Painting over the lens cover is not the answer.  Slowing down is the answer!  I strongly supported the law to permit speed cameras.  Speeding cars on neighborhood streets was the the top constituent complaint when I served on the Laurel City Council.  The camera is a much better solution than chewing up the time of an officer with a radar gun.  I'd much rather have our cops free to solve more serious crimes.

There are at least three speed camera locations in Laurel.  Here on 7th, Cherry Lane near Laurel High and on Dorset Road near Scotchtown Hills Elementary School.

By the way, even police officers are not exempted from the speed laws and must pay the fine. So let's all be careful out there.

(Hat tip to Mike McLaughlin for the tip.)

Traffic Woes - We Can't hide

Tom Dernoga, County Councilman and good friend of this blog, sends along an interesting invitation for us to help the Prince George County Council set priorities for traffic projects.

So let us pull our heads out of our, er, out of the the sand and participate in the process. What do we have to lose?

You can directly ask Tom questions about this session at
TEDernoga at co.pg.md.us

"The Prince George’s County Council, through its Transportation, Housing and Environment (THE) Committee, cordially invites you to participate in public hearings to discuss the County’s transportation and transit priorities.

This is an important opportunity for public input into the Council’s consideration of the annual County priorities list, as well as the upcoming budget for Fiscal Year 2008. With limited State and Federal transportation funds, it is important for the Council to hear our citizens' priorities for reducing congestion, increasing mass transit, improving roads, as well as trail, bike and pedestrian improvements.

Each hearing will begin at 7:00 pm. The location and place for each hearing is as follows:

Wednesday January 31, 2007

City of College Park

City Hall – Council Chamber

4500 Knox Road

College Park, Maryland

Thursday February 1, 2007

Town of Morningside

Municipal Building

6901 Ames Street

Suitland, Maryland

You may register to speak by contacting Mr. Todd M. Turner, Legislative Officer, at 301-952-4116 or tmturner@co.pg.md.us. We appreciate your efforts on behalf of your community.

Thank you as well for your kind consideration and we look forward to seeing you on January 31st and/or February 1st. "