Arlington County will resume enforcement of School Zone Speed Safety Cameras starting August 25, 2025, coinciding with the first day of school for Arlington Public School students. The county is expanding its PhotoSPEED program by installing 10 additional cameras, increasing the total to 28 cameras for the upcoming school year.
The newly installed and relocated cameras will be placed at various locations across the county. Among these are the northbound 4700 block of Williamsburg Boulevard, northbound 1300 block of S. George Mason Drive, southbound 1000 block of N. George Mason Drive, and several others. Two existing cameras have also been relocated to maximize safety benefits near prominent school crossings.
“There will be a 30-day warning period, beginning on August 25, for the 10 newly installed and the two relocated cameras to help raise public awareness about their locations and encourage driver compliance with posted speed limits. At the conclusion of the warning period, speed zone violators will be issued a $100 ticket (civil fine) per infraction to the vehicle’s registered owner. Speed zone violations at the existing camera locations will be issued tickets beginning on August 25.”
School zones were selected based on safety data in accordance with Arlington County’s Vision Zero safety program. These areas are reviewed by county staff to assess camera impact and guide future development of PhotoSPEED.
“PhotoSPEED is part of Arlington County’s Automated Safety Enforcement Program and supports the County’s Vision Zero program efforts. The Vision Zero Action Plan is in its fourth year of implementation as the County works toward the goal of eliminating severe injuries and fatalities in our transportation network by 2030. The plan identifies automated speed enforcement as a tool to lower speeds and enhance equity in enforcement. Find more information on the Vision Zero webpage, including maps and safety data, safety project implementation, and community engagement.”
Speed safety cameras operate when school zone lights flash during arrival and departure times. They capture digital images and video footage if vehicles exceed posted speed limits. A contracted company reviews footage before forwarding it to Arlington County Police Department officers for final assessment; confirmed violations result in a civil fine.
Arlington County Public Schools District enrolled over 27,500 students during the previous academic year according to Virginia Department of Education data (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Washington Liberty High School was noted as having the highest enrollment among local schools with nearly 2,900 students (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Demographically, white students made up just under half of total enrollment while Hispanic students accounted for about one-third (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home). Overall student numbers saw a slight decrease compared to prior years (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home).
For further details about camera locations or Vision Zero initiatives, residents can visit Arlington County’s official resources online.
