BALL GROUND, Ga. — The City of Ball Ground announced Friday it was taking “a significant step” to improve safety for students at Ball Ground Elementary School STEM Academy.
The city said it will be partnering with speed enforcement company RedSpeed to add new automated speed cameras in the school zones around the school.
The city said the program is fully funded by allocations in the state legislature, with the money paid through 2018’s House Bill 978, meaning it will not be a cost taxpayers have to cover.
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City officials said RedSpeed will be paying for the cost of the program, which includes equipment, maintenance, permitting and operational expenses.
“Protecting children as they travel to and from school is one of our highest priorities,” Greg Parks, Senior Vice President of RedSpeed, said in a statement. “By proactively enforcing speed limits in school zones, this program is an important step in safeguarding our community’s children.”
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Going forward, Ball Ground will use automatic license plate recognition and high-definition cameras to monitor driving speeds and “quickly respond to safety concerns” near or at the school.
The city said the program will also be integrated with Amber Alert and Temporary Protection Order systems to increase community security.
Speed cameras from the RedSpeed partnership will operate on school days an hour before school starts to an hour after dismissal, but only while school is in session.
Anyone found driving 10 or more miles per hour above the speed limit will receive traffic citations. At first, this will come in the form of fee-free warning letters, and warning signs will be posted in the school zones.
Once the warning period is over, violators will face $75 fines for a first offense, and each time after that will have a $125 fine.
Drivers who receive citations will not get points on their record or have their insurance rates impacted, according to the city.
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