The City of Memphis in Tennessee and digital services company Conduent Inc.’s transportation business unit are implementing a new Speed Safety Program to encourage motorists to slow down in school zones where traffic data and citizen complaints show that speeding is a problem.
The automated Speed Safety Program will supplement existing traffic calming measures employed by Memphis police officers and will deploy digital camera systems to identify alleged violations. The 15 camera systems are installed on poles that are located near or adjacent to intersections in school zones and S-bends. Cameras will be active for the 30 minutes prior to school opening and 15 minutes after it has opened. The cameras will once again activate 15 minutes prior to school closing until 30 minutes after it has closed. The 15 locations were selected by the city based on a scoring matrix that evaluated accident history and accident severity at approximately 350 locations and then narrowed it down to 30 locations for more detailed speed assessments. The 15 locations with the highest percentage of drivers operating above the posted speed limit were selected for initial deployment.
Conduent’s DriveSafe system uses 24GHz radar detection technology to accurately monitor vehicles through the school zone or S-bend. The precise speed of each vehicle is securely monitored to determine if the posted speed limit is exceeded. The DriveSafe enforcement system is capable of multi-vehicle tracking with its smart radar unit, with supporting evidence supplied by three 8MP cameras that provide a series of images and video capture. Artificial intelligence (AI) is combined with edge processing for the video streams, and the entire system is powered by Conduent’s CiteWeb platform, which provides a full turnkey back-office violation management program.
Citation fees, which are determined by the City of Memphis, are US$50 for each individual violation and failure to respond to the original notice will result in an additional US$45 late payment fee. The City authorities are keen to emphasise that revenue generated from penalties and assessments associated with the implementation of the program will first be applied to all equipment, administrative, and associated processing costs. All excess revenues will then be limited to the payment of costs associated with traffic and safety education programs and will not be available for general government operating expenditures.
“We’re proud to partner with the City on this important implementation,” said Holly Cooper, general manager of public safety solutions at Conduent. “As an industry leader, our team is committed to giving cities like Memphis the latest technology and the tools they need to keep children and other citizens safe, particularly in school zones.”
Superintendent, Dr Joris M Ray, said, “Getting to and from school safely are two of the most critically important parts of the day for Shelby County Schools students. We are extremely grateful to partner with the City of Memphis and Conduent on Memphis’ new Speed Safety Program as we encourage motorists to slow down in school zones and support increased public safety that will enhance protection for our children.”
