Dear City Council,

We together, the crossing guards of Charlottesville City Schools, request the City introduce
speed cameras to enforce school zone speed limits. These cameras, legalized for school zone
speed enforcement by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020, present the best solution to
improve safety for our students moving to and from school.

The division’s expansion of walk zones at the beginning of this school year resulted in a
dramatic increase of students walking to school. Eleven hundred (1,100) students are not
eligible for bus service. This is eight hundred (800) more pupils than previous years.

On a daily basis we witness drivers speeding through our school zones while students walk,
bike and scooter to and from school. Speed is a major contributor to traffic and pedestrian
deaths. We do not want this fact to be made reality on our streets or with our kids. We feel
helpless to stop the reckless, unregulated driving which threatens student safety daily. We love
our kids. While on duty and monitoring many variables to ensure student’s safe crossing, we
have no capacity to capture license plates or vehicle information sufficient for enforcement or
accountability. Because the Charlottesville Police Department remains very understaffed, we
understand that the possibility of intermittent officer support for traffic enforcement in school
zones is not yet a dependable option.

It is our hope that speed cameras in school zones (with appropriate signage) will raise
awareness among drivers and incentivize adherence to traffic laws. We request that the city
pilot these cameras in three locations. In these locations we witness consistent speed violations
during school hours: Monticello Avenue at Clark Elementary School; Cherry Avenue at Johnson
Elementary School; and Cherry Avenue at Buford Middle School.

We understand that some community members may have concerns regarding photo-traffic
enforcement. To be clear, our intent is to improve student safety. We ask for cameras operating
to enforce speed only in school zones and only during the school zone hours. To mitigate the
financial impact on low-income members of our community, we suggest alternatives to cash
fines for a first violation, for instance a required traffic safety course.

In implementing these cameras for school zone speed enforcement, Charlottesville would be
joining the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, the City of Fairfax, as well as other communities
throughout Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland. The City of Alexandria’s page about the
cameras offers a helpful overview.

We appreciate the City’s existing work this school year toward bike and pedestrian
improvements across the City and its support of Safe Routes to Schools. Thank you for
considering this additional method for increasing the safety of our students.

Sincerely,
Adrienne Dent - Crossing Guard, on behalf Charlottesville City Schools Crossing Guards
(Janice Ball, Kevin Cox, Ruth Hill, Vizena Howard, Anita Johnson, Robert Jones, Greg
Ochenschlager, Shaune Robinson, Jaime Wayne)