Blue Line Solutions discusses school zone speed camera program improvements following complaints from Shreveport drivers
SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - Blue Line Solutions rolled out its traffic cameras in Caddo Parish school zones about a year ago and in that time, the cameras have been met with uproar and negative feedback from drivers.
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On Thursday, Aug. 10, KSLA’s Domonique Benn spoke with Mark Hutchinson, the CEO of the traffic safety company, to get some transparency about the cameras and how the program has managed to work through glitches.
While Blue Line Solutions has implemented photo enforcement cameras across the nation, Hutchinson told KSLA that the cameras in Caddo Parish have been met with the most controversy.
“One of the things that we saw happen when the program was launched is a lack of consistency from school zone to school zone,” Hutchinson explained. “Some of the signage was old, some of it wasn’t there, some had flashers, some flashers weren’t working.”
As a result of these indiscretions, the company was met with complaints from drivers who received citations.
School zone enforcement times have also been changed multiple times, and many drivers stated they received citations when school wasn’t even in session.
Hutchinson attributes this confusion to a change in city administration.
“The school flasher times were changed under the first mayor, and I believe that was in December. Then in January, the new mayor took over if I remember right, and it’s been changed twice since,” Hutchinson stated.
The school zone enforcement times are different for elementary, middle and high schools.
“What we’ve been doing is working on trying to improve the transparency in communication with the public,” Hutchinson said.
Blue Line Solutions partnered with the city council to work out kinks in the school zone speed camera program over the summer. The company worked to improve signage and flashers at nearly 30 school zones.
When school starts, drivers will be warned that school zone speed limits are in effect.
Hutchinson said the program works, and he’s noticed a decrease in vehicular accidents.
“The goal is to try to reduce the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities in school zones,” he explained.
According to Hutchinson, there is an 89% reduction rate in speeding vehicles on average throughout the city.
Camera enforcement times:
Elementary schools - 6:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Middle schools - 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
High schools - 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
School zones (in Shreveport) with camera enforcement:
- Booker T Washington High School - Milam St.
- Caddo Magnet High School - Viking Ln.
- Caddo Career & Technology Center - Union Ave.
- Capt. Shreve High School - E. King’s Hwy
- CE Byrd High School - Line Ave.
- Green Oaks High School - Thomas E Howard Dr.
- Huntington High School - Rasberry Lane
- Southwood High School - Walker Rd.
- Woodlawn High School - Wyngate Blvd.
- AMI Kids Middle School- Lakeshore Dr.& San Jacinto St.
- Ridgewood Middle School - Baird Rd.
- Youree Drive Middle School - Carroll St.
- AC Steere Elementary School - Ockley Dr.
- Atkins Elementary School - Vincent Ave.
- Caddo Heights Math/Science Elementary School - Linwood Ave. & Corbitt St.
- Claiborne Fundamental Elementary School - Claiborne Ave.
- Creswell Elementary school Creswell Ave.& Highlands Ave.
- Fairfield Elementary School Fairfield Ave.
- Forest Hill Elementary School - Baird Rd.
- Judson Elementary School- Jewella Ave.
- Linwood Elementary School - Linwood Ave.
- Queensborough Elementary School - Missouri Ave.
- Riverside Elementary School Dixie Garden Dr.
- Southern Hills Elementary School - Kingston Rd.
- Summerfield Elementary School - Ardis Taylor Dr.
- Sunset Acres Elementary School – Sunnybrook &W Canal Blvd.
- Westwood Elementary School - Jewella Ave.
- Calvary Baptist Academy - Linwood Ave.
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