Speed camera fines fund new traffic safety projects in Philadelphia

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WPVI) -- PennDOT announced the next round of safety projects using money collected from speed camera violations along Roosevelt Boulevard.

The City of Philadelphia will receive nearly $17.4 million from the Automated Speed Enforcement funding program.

That money will be used on five traffic safety projects, including adding speed cushions on city streets near the Boulevard and adding more automated speed cameras in other areas.

Since its inception in 2021, the program has awarded nearly $73 million to the city.

"Dangerous driver behavior - like speeding - makes everyone on the road less safe," said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. "This program aims to discourage speeding and change people's behavior, and invest those funds back in the community, in projects that help keep everyone safe."

The following approved projects are all located in the City of Philadelphia:

• $1 million for Roosevelt Blvd. Parallel Corridor Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Pre-Development. This program will fund the concept and preliminary design of traffic safety improvements along Roosevelt Blvd. using federal HSIP funds. Work will be conducted at priority corridors Bustleton Ave. (from Winchester Ave. to County Line Rd.) and Whitaker Ave./B St. (from Venango St. to Roosevelt Blvd.).

• $5 million to complete design and construction for selected projects in the vicinity of Roosevelt Blvd. for a Speed Cushion Program on City-owned streets. Speed cushions are rounded raised areas of asphalt, similar to speed humps, which have been shown to reduce speeds.

• $7 million for Roosevelt Blvd. Parallel Corridor Transit Priority. Funds will support design and construction of the intersection modifications on Olney Ave. between Broad St. and Rising Sun Ave., including bus boarding islands (including curb, sidewalk, and stormwater modifications), street lighting, pavement marking and signing, signal modifications and upgrades to improve transit access in this area.

• $3.4 million for Roosevelt Blvd. Parallel Corridor Intersection Modifications. Funds will support design and construction for intersection improvement at three to four locations, which will be determined by project viability, crash data, and funding gaps for projects currently underway. Possible locations include Castor Ave. (from Van Kirk St. to Cottman Ave.), Rising Sun Ave. (from Van Kirk St. to Cottman Ave.), and Adams Ave. (from Rising Sun Ave. to Roosevelt Blvd.). This project will help to slow traffic at intersections, improve visibility between drivers and pedestrians, and improve safety by reducing the time it takes for pedestrians to cross.

• $1 million to support expansion of the City of Philadelphia's Automated Speed Enforcement Program. The City is partnering with Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) to expand the ASE program to other corridors with high levels of speed-related crashes.