School zone speeding fine tally tops million-dollar mark
Nearly 12,000 violation citations issued from April 28 through July 31; program ongoing
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More than 9,000 lead-footed drivers caught speeding in school zones have paid the price -- nearly $900,000, total, in fines in three months alone.
The RedSpeed Florida, LLC, School Zone Speed enforcement in 17 school zones is detecting a minimum of 100 speeders per day, per school zone, according to a study to be discussed at the Cape Coral City Council's special meeting on Thursday.
The statistics showed a minimum of over 100 speeding vehicles per week at 17 of the schools, with the highest number at one location being 15,487 speeding vehicles per week at Patriot Elementary School.
Speeding violations were measured at more than 10 miles-per-hour above the speed limit in effect, in conformity with statute:
In all, more than 30,000 speed violations were registered during the Kisinger Campo & Associates speed study,
Notices of school zone speed detection system violations were issued from April 28, 2025 to June 3, 2025 for the following schools - Ida S. Baker High School, Challenger Middle School, Diplomat Middle School, Mariner Middle School, Trafalgar Middle School, Cape Elementary School, Diplomat Elementary School, Gulf Elementary School, Oasis Charter Elementary School North, Patriot Elementary School, Pelican Elementary School, Skyline Elementary School, Trafalgar Elementary School, Heritage Charter Academy of Cape Coral, Thrive Academy of Cape Coral, Cape Coral Christian School and St. Andrews Catholic School.
Notices from June 6, 2025 to July 17, 2025 - the end of summer school were for Oasis Charter Elementary School North, Oasis Middle School, Gulf Elementary School, Cape Elementary School, and Diplomat Elementary School.
There were a total of 11,824 notices of violations issued from April 28 through July 31. Of those numbers 9,336 violations were paid, 120 violations contested with a hearing scheduled, 30 contested violations upheld after hearing, 14 violations dismissed after hearing, 1,503 violations issued as uniform traffic citations, 621 traffic citations pending and 3,137 violations dismissed.
From April 28, to July 31, the city received payments for 9,336 violations from the program. The total program receipts totaled $896,750.
The City of Cape Coral received $60 per violation, or $536,720; $44,835 went to the School Crossing Guard Recruitment and Retainment Program, $5 per violation; $179,340 for the Florida Department of Revenue General Fund, $20 per violation; $26,901 for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal Justice and Standards Training Trust Fund, $3 per violation; and $107,604 for Lee County School Districts, $12 per violation.
In April 2023, the Florida Legislature passed, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law, HB 657, Enforcement of School Zone Speed Limits, which became effective on July 1, 2023. According to city documents with the special meeting agenda, the bill "authorizes counties and municipalities to utilize automated speed detection systems in school zones to enforce speed limits while setting forth numerous requirements for implementation, administration and due process procedures."
The traffic engineering firm, Kisinger Campo & Associates was engaged in April 2024, to conduct a speed study encompassing 21 schools.
The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, in City Council chambers, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd. The meeting is open to the public.