MANATEE COUNTY, FL (February 13, 2024) - The Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has approved the installation of School Zone Speed Cameras throughout the county.
The vote was unanimous to move forward with installation and monitoring of the speed zones. A 6-1 majority approved an agreement with the vendor, RedSpeed, to furnish, install and maintain the speed detection system, comply with FDOT placement and installation specifications and assist Manatee County Public Safety in the public announcement and awareness campaign. The lone dissenting vote came from At-Large Commissioner George Kruse.
“There will be warning signs up for about two weeks prior to them being turned on, so drivers will have ample opportunity to be notified the cameras will be in effect,” said District 3 Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge. “And even once the cameras are in place and active, there will still be warning signs that they are active.”
“I think this is a reasonable precaution,” said Manatee County District 1 Commissioner James Satcher. “I’m all for doing it as efficiently as possible.”
The move comes after the Florida Legislature passed Florida House Bill 657 last April which authorizes counties to enforce speed limits in school zones using speed detection systems. Drivers traveling more than 10 miles per hour over the posted school zone speed limit during designated hours would receive a $100 ticket in the mail. The speed camera zones would be active only at times when kids are heading to and from school.
“We did repeal red light cameras awhile back because we felt like rolling through those right-hand turns was more of a revenue-generator than a safety issue,” said Commissioner Van Ostenbridge. “But when it comes to School Zones, that’s a safety issue, and protecting our kids is a top priority.”