Arlington County has installed 10 additional School Zone Speed Safety Cameras, bringing the total number of PhotoSPEED cameras to 35 for the 2026-27 school year, with classes beginning Monday, August 31.
Ticketing for speed violations at existing camera locations begins August 31, the same day a 30-day warning period starts for newly installed and relocated cameras. The warning period is designed to raise public awareness about the new locations and encourage driver compliance with posted speed limits. After it ends, speed zone violators will be issued a $100 civil fine per infraction to the vehicle's registered owner.
The PhotoSPEED cameras operate when school zone lights are flashing during school arrival and departure. They capture digital images and video of vehicles traveling above the posted speed limit. A contracted company reviews and validates the footage before sending it to the Arlington County Police Department, where an officer reviews it and determines whether a violation occurred.
Three cameras were relocated from the SB 1000 block of N. McKinley Road, the NB 1600 block of N. Veitch Street and the WB 1500 block of Wilson Boulevard to other prominent school crossings. In an update published October 2, the county said the camera in the SB 1700 block of N. Veitch Street was successfully installed and has been issuing warnings, with tickets for violations there starting October 7, 2026.
Arlington County said it considers crash history, vehicle speeds and volumes, school walk zone coverage and equity areas when identifying potential camera locations, choosing school zones that would most benefit from automated safety devices under its Vision Zero program. County staff will actively review and assess these school zones to evaluate safety impacts and guide the future of the PhotoSPEED program.
PhotoSPEED is part of the county's Automated Safety Enforcement Program and supports Vision Zero, now in its fifth year of implementation, which aims to eliminate severe injuries and fatalities in the transportation network by 2030. The plan identifies automated speed enforcement as a tool to lower speeds and enhance equity in enforcement.