Drivers face $318,000 in fines in first month from two Tallahassee school speed zone cameras

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Drivers face $318,000 in fines in first month from two Tallahassee school speed zone cameras

The city’s two active school zone speed enforcement cameras are racking up the fines.

As of May 2, 3,179 speeding tickets have been issued since the cameras went live March 28, equating to almost $318,000 with the city taking home nearly $124,000.

Over the course of the year, 23 more cameras are expected to go up and join the cause. And based on last month’s numbers, if all the cameras are up and running, Tallahassee could see around 40,000 tickets per month, which would bring in roughly $1.5 million for the city.

If drivers don’t get the message to slow down, this means the city could be earning $18.6 million a year with every camera capturing around 1,590 school zone speeders each month.

The Tallahassee Police Department doesn’t have a specific timeline for when the remaining cameras will be installed and activated, but as of now, the two active cameras are in the school zones for Ruediger Elementary and Raa Middle School near North MLK Jr. Boulevard and West Tharpe Street, and Desoto Trail Elementary on Kerry Forest Parkway.

More camera info: Lights, camera, ticket: Everything you need to know about school zone speeding crackdown

A school zone speed enforcement camera is set up in front of Raa Middle School. As of right now, there are two active cameras are in the school zones for Ruediger Elementary and Raa Middle School near North MLK Jr. Boulevard and West Tharpe Street, and Desoto Trail Elementary on Kerry Forest Parkway.

But even with just the two, TPD Major Jeff Mahoney said the cameras already seem to be making a difference.

“Long term, yes, I think it’s going to be a huge success for us as far as trying to deter any type of speeding that’s going to end up possibly hurting a child or a school crossing guard or teacher or parent,” Mahoney told the Tallahassee Democrat.

When will the cameras be on?

Cameras are activated throughout the entire school day, not just when the school zone lights are flashing. This includes:

Within 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after a “regularly scheduled breakfast program.”

Within 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the end of a regularly scheduled school session.

“The exact times vary depending on the individual school schedule,” TPD’s website says.

Cameras will be turned off on weekends and other breaks such as Thanksgiving and spring break. Over the summer, the cameras will remain off unless summer school is in.

Mahoney said there seems to be community confusion about when the cameras are on and off, with some community members requesting to keep the flashing lights on all day. But he said the city is going to uphold the statute and just use the flashing lights on the regular schedule, which is when students are arriving and leaving school.

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A school zone speed enforcement camera is set up in front of Raa Middle School. As of right now, there are two active cameras are in the school zones for Ruediger Elementary and Raa Middle School near North MLK Jr. Boulevard and West Tharpe Street, and Desoto Trail Elementary on Kerry Forest Parkway.

If lights flashed all day, the speed limit would also be reduced all day. Drivers “aren’t going to know to go the speed limit if the lights are on,” he said. “Traffic would be backed up the entire day.”

“We are trying to change driving behavior,” he added. “When you’re driving toward a school zone, you should know now to slow down.”

How fast is too fast?

Tickets will be issued if a driver exceeds the posted speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour, meaning one must be driving 11 miles per hour over before the camera software detects a speeding violation.

If the school zone lights are flashing, drivers exceeding the reduced speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour will receive a ticket.

When school zone lights are flashing, the speed limit usually drops to 15 or 20 miles per hour. “You can’t drive 26 [miles per hour] or you’ll get a ticket,” TPD Chief Lawrence Revell previously told the Democrat.

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A school zone speed enforcement camera is set up in front of Raa Middle School. As of right now, there are two active cameras are in the school zones for Ruediger Elementary and Raa Middle School near North MLK Jr. Boulevard and West Tharpe Street, and Desoto Trail Elementary on Kerry Forest Parkway.

If the normal speed limit is 30 miles per hour and one is driving 41 miles per hour in that area, “it will cite you,” Revell said.

One camera captured a driver going 73 miles per hour through a school zone, and it’s these dangers TPD is hoping to curb with the cameras’ help.

“Obviously, 73 miles per hour is a problem,” Mahoney said.

How much are the fines?

School zone speeders will be slapped with a $100 fine.

Mahoney said this fine is typically less than a citation that an officer would give out, especially for speeders going extremely high speeds. Officer-written citations are close to $200, he said.

As previously reported, the city commission voted unanimously last June to enter a five-year contract with 

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, a traffic control company.

The ticket money will be split among the city, the vendor, the school district and the state. Once a violator pays the ticket, RedSpeed takes its fees of $21 and then deposits the rest to the city.

From there, the remaining $79 is split with the city receiving $39, State of Florida general fund receiving $20, the local school board receiving $12, the local crossing guard program receiving $5 and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Education Fund receiving $3, according to a PowerPoint breakdown previously provided by TPD.

All the collected fines will first work to pay off the program, meaning it will cost taxpayers nothing.

The program could be lucrative for the city as initial tests at schools around Tallahassee showed thousands of violations in a single day. Last year, the city was able to slightly reduce its proposed property tax rate, because top city officials said projected revenue from the program helped bolster the budget.

Where will the cameras be?

Cameras will be “very well marked,” TPD said, and positioned at these 25 different school zones:

Buck Lake Elementary School

DeSoto Trail Elementary School

Gilchrist Elementary School

Hartsfield Elementary School

Hawks Rise Elementary School

Lincoln High School/Apalachee Elementary School

Oakridge Elementary School

Pineview Elementary School

Roberts Elementary/Montford Middle School

Ruediger Elementary School

Sabal Palm Elementary School

Springwood Elementary School

Swift Creek Middle School

The list of schools is subject to change “in accordance with city ordinance,” 

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County will implement same cameras

In an April meeting, county commissioners approved their very own ordinance to mimic the city’s initiative.

Speeders outside city limits will be hit with the very same $100 fine as in-city violators. The proposed county ordinance looks almost identical to the one at the city allowing for features, similar to red-light cameras, to detect speeding in school zones

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Raa Middle School students use the crosswalk on their way to school on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.

The program will also function the same way as the city: If someone is found going over 10 miles per hour, they will be mailed a notice of the violation, alongside a photograph of their license plate, resulting in a $100 fine.

The county has yet select a vendor, like RedSpeed Florida, to supply the speed detection system.

This story contains previously reported material. Local government watchdog reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at *****@*****.tld. Follow her on X: 

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat:

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