COUNCILMEMBER ISAIAH THOMAS INTRODUCES THE SAFE STREETS FOR STUDENTS ACT

Councilmember Isaiah Thomas on Thursday introduced the Safe Streets for Students Act, legislation that would authorize the installation and use of automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras in some school zones. The legislation is part of the broader effort between City Council and the Parker Administration to eliminate traffic fatalities in the City of Philadelphia and follows Councilmember Thomas’ recent hearing investigating our progress toward achieving our Vision Zero goals.

This is a five-year pilot program authorized by Pennsylvania House Bill 1284 and will need to be renewed or made permanent in 2028 if it is to be continued. As required by HB 1284, engineering and traffic studies must be completed and an opportunity for public comment will be made available.

“Our original Automated Speed Enforcement program on Roosevelt Boulevard has proved that speed cameras save lives and make our roads safer for everyone – that includes both pedestrians and motorists,” said Christopher Puchalsky, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS). “We are pleased to see the expansion of this technology to now include school slow zones throughout our city, bringing that same lifesaving technology to streets where our young students are most vulnerable.”

“Every student deserves a safe trip to school. In a city where 4 children are hit by a driver while walking each week, we must take bold and proactive steps to bolster traffic safety on dangerous roads around our school campuses,” Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said. “I want to commend Mayor Parker and the experts at OTIS for their focus on traffic safety for our most vulnerable constituents.”

Locations were determined by transportation experts at OTIS using crash data and geographic spread across the city to maximize impact. Thomas’ ordinance proposes 7 locations, though state law (HB 1284) limits the use of ASE cameras to 5 designated school zones at a given time. The 7 proposed school zones are:

• William L. Sayre High School (3rd district)
• High School of the Future (4th district)
• Visitation B.V.M School (5th district)
• KIPP North Philadelphia Charter School (5th district)
• John B. Stetson Middle School (7th district)
• Widener Memorial School (8th district)
• Northeast High School (10th district)

Cameras would be active during school hours when school zone flashers are active.

The bill will be considered at the Committee on Streets and Services’ next public meeting on March 11th, before ultimate consideration by the whole of City Council.