Speed Limit

In the 14 years since the Maryland legislature approved red-light cameras, about 200 of the ticket-issuing machines have been installed in the state, according to a database compiled by AAA Mid-Atlantic. That doesn't include speed cameras, which are numerous in Maryland, but for which there is no comprehensive database.  The cameras “are effective because they scare people,” said Amanda Clark, 29, who has received four red-light camera tickets and a speed-camera ticket within the last five years.

laurae@herald-mail.com Del. LeRoy E. Myers Jr. has withdrawn legislation that could have helped Maryland developers avoid expensive architects' fees. A state task force made up of engineers and architects is working on regulations that likely will accomplish the same purpose, said Myers, R-Allegany/Washington. "There was no sense in me clouding the waters," Myers said. Myers' bill would have allowed local permitting offices to waive the architect's seal requirement on plans for storage buildings smaller than 12,000 square feet.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- Local police and State Highway Administration officials want to make sure children arrive home safely after trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treaters should be accompanied by adults and take flashlights or wear glow bracelets when they are out, Lt. Mark Holtzman said Tuesday. The Washington County Sheriff's Department will have off-duty deputies patrolling neighborhoods throughout the county where children will be trick-or-treating, Lt. Timothy Baker said. As part of its Vests for Visibility program, the State Highway Administration is loaning safety vests to parents for free.

Speed trap nabs 54 motorists By KIMBERLY YAKOWSKI / Staff Writer Hagerstown City Police issued citations to 54 motorists caught Thursday afternoon in a West End speed trap designed to slow down traffic that could endanger pedestrians and other motorists. Three officers were positioned at the corner of West Side Avenue and West Franklin Street while a fourth officer operated a laser gun tracking motorists' speeds. Police had no difficulty finding motorists driving above the 25 mph posted speed limit, said Lt. John Moulton.

laurae@herald-mail.com When you see an ambulance in your rearview mirror, the law says you must pull over. But what happens when you come upon an emergency vehicle stopped on the side of the road? A bill sponsored by Sen. Donald F. Munson, R-Washington, would require drivers to either change lanes or slow down to protect the safety of emergency personnel. To drive home the point, Washington County Director of Emergency Services Joseph Kroboth III told a Senate panel Tuesday about the death of his father while directing traffic at the scene of a car accident.

EASTERN PANHANDLE, W.Va. -- Safety will be a focus as public schools open in Berkeley and Jefferson counties Tuesday. Parents and students returning to Berkeley County Schools this week will see the start of a new access system designed to beef up security, and in Jefferson County, police said they will be aggressively patrolling around the new Washington High School to control speeding there. In Berkeley County, work continues on constructing vestibules at the entrances to the school district's 29 buildings, according to schools spokeswoman Jaimee Borger.

charlestown@herald-mail.com SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.VA. - A proposed bicycle path from Shepherdstown to Morgan's Grove Park along W.Va. 480 will cost about $290,000 and Del. John Doyle, D-Jefferson said during a meeting Tuesday night that he will talk to state officials about possible funding sources for the project. The path would be 8-feet wide, with two 4-foot lanes in each direction, said Bill Robinson, community development specialist for the state Department of Transportation.

The Maryland State Highway Administration will widen and rehabilitate the Interstate 70 bridge over Conococheague Creek west of Hagerstown as part of its bridge preservation and replacement program. During two years of construction, the SHA plans to widen both sides of the bridge by 20 feet, allowing room for drivers to pull over and possibly facilitating the addition of a third lane. The $16.5 million project will extend the life of the bridge by 30 to 50 years, according to a press release from the SHA. Although the bridge is safe for public travel, it is beginning to show signs of deterioration, the SHA said.

Hagerstown's first speed cameras were installed Tuesday morning along Northern Avenue at Crofton Road in the area of Fountaindale Elementary School. Members of the Hagerstown Police Department and Brekford - the company contracted to provide the cameras as part of the Hagerstown Automated Speed Enforcement Program - attended the camera kickoff. “Public safety is very important to us,” Hagerstown police Capt. Mark Holtzman said. “It's been a longtime initiative of the police department to try and reduce the speed around the schools.” A 30-day warning period began on Tuesday for motorists, Holtzman said.