What’s up with school zone speeding cameras in Bradenton? Here are 5 takeways

The City of Bradenton will maintain its school zone speed camera program for the new school year, despite Manatee County ending its similar initiative due to public criticism.

The Bradenton Police Department asserts that the cameras have effectively reduced speeding and will resume ticketing on Monday, Aug. 11, the first day of school.

FULL STORY: Bradenton set to resume school zone speed camera program as students return

Here are the highlights:

• Bradenton’s program remains separate from the county’s, which ended after issuing over 55,000 tickets. The city claims its cameras have positively impacted speeding in school zones.
• The city’s cameras operate throughout the school day at 10 campuses, issuing 12,320 violations in the 2024-25 school year. Notable violations included a driver caught at 78 mph in a 25 mph zone.
• Critics argue the cameras are a revenue-generating tool rather than a safety measure, suggesting alternatives like crossing guards. Revenue from fines is distributed among various agencies as per state law.
• The county’s program, which used the same technology, was halted after less than six months due to public criticism. Despite this, Bradenton’s cameras continue under a 2023 state law allowing enforcement during all school hours.
• The Bradenton Police Department reviews each violation before issuing a $100 civil fine. Revenue distribution includes allocations to the city, state, schools, and law enforcement education funds.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Bradenton Herald newsroom. The full story in the link at the top was reported, written and edited entirely by Bradenton Herald journalists.