BALTIMORE, MD—Baltimore County could soon be home to a new set of speed cameras along I-695 and I-83, if a bill introduced by five state senators is passed into law. The bill, SB0338, proposes installing up to 14 speed cameras along the two highways in an effort to curb excessive speeding and improve road safety.

The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Senators Benjamin Brooks, Chris West, Shelly Hettleman, Johnny Ray Salling, and Charles Sydnor, would allow the State Highway Administration (SHA) to install up to four speed cameras in either direction on I-695 and three in either direction on I-83.

The cameras would be programmed to detect vehicles exceeding the speed limit by at least 16 mph on I-695 and 12 mph on I-83. Violations would result in civil penalties capped at $40, unless a police officer issues a citation at the time of the offense.

Additionally, SB0118/HB0182 would increase the ticket cost incrementally depending on how much over the speed limit a driver was going when the camera caught them, with a maximum penalty of $350 for going 40 mph or more over the speed limit, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Revenue generated from the tickets would be used exclusively for roadway and safety improvements on I-695 and I-83 within Baltimore County. The SHA, in collaboration with local and state police, would determine the specific locations of the cameras, prioritizing areas identified as high-risk for serious or fatal crashes.

If passed and signed, SB0338 goes into effect in July and lasts until June 2030. The bill includes a provision for a 90-day warning period, during which state police would only issue warnings to drivers caught speeding by the cameras. This bill represents a revived effort from a previous legislative session, when a similar proposal failed to advance beyond its second reading in the House of Delegates. The previous bill received support from former State Senator, now Baltimore County Executive, Kathy Klausmeier and State Sen. Mary Washington.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

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