The two I got were for driving 56 mph and, on another occasion, 63 mph on I-295, aka the Anacostia Freeway. Both occasions were broad daylight, perfect weather, no congestion. I saved the speedcam photos to prove the point -- they clearly show open road with cars well spaced.
D.C., however, has posted its little stretch of Interstate Highway at 45 mph on the theory that it's an urban interstate. Granted, 295 is an older road and can get congested around several entrance/exit chokepoints, but aside from rush hour traffic in these locations, NO ONE drives 45. (When was the last time you kept it to 45 on an interstate, in good weather?) They can post a speedcam anywhere along that road and ticket everyone who drives by. That apparently is the plan. A real profit center.
Our third ticket was on North Capitol St. up by the reservoir. For those who don't know D.C., that is also a long stretch of open road, not a residential neighborhood. I forget what we were clocked at -- 40-plus mph, not a wild speed.
I have no objection to cameras to stop commuter speeding through residential neighborhoods provided they don't game the stoplights, but according to the newspaper reports, that's not where D.C. is writing most of the tickets. Maybe we should just go with the flow. Let's put a 45 mph speed limit on all the interstates across the country, invest in about five million speedcams, and retire the federal debt in ten years.
D.C., however, has posted its little stretch of Interstate Highway at 45 mph on the theory that it's an urban interstate.
Actually only part of it in DC is 45 mph I think. The signs aren't real obvious where they drop it. They got me at the same spot for 56 mph. EVERYBODY on that road was going faster than I was, the revenues from that must be enormous.
What I'd like to know, and what would be a real scandal, is if there are any instructions to let those with DC plates slide by the folks looking at the cameras.
You got that right. There's a TERRIBLE speed camera spot they've got rigged up near the D.C. side of the Chain Bridge. It's at the bottom of a steep hill, so virtually everybody who doesn't ride his brakes down the entire hill is going above the speed limit when he passes it. Of course in states where they don't have cameras they simply stick cops at the bottom of hills to the same effect.
Either way, it's all a REVENUE RACKET and sadly there's not one damn thing the average citizen can do about it in 99% of the cases. These speeding cameras and ticket rackets are government coercion at its worst - IMHO no different than an extortionist organized crime ring between the city/county government, their police forces, and the camera companies.