February 6, 2025
By: Dwayne Page
School zones in the City of Smithville will soon be camera monitored to catch motorists exceeding the speed limit.
During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting, the Aldermen voted to enter into a two-year contract with Blue Line Solutions, LLC of Chattanooga to install new lights and signage in the school zones at Northside Elementary on Highway 56 north, DCHS/DeKalb Middle School on Highway 70, and at the DeKalb Christian Academy on Highway 56 south. The new radar feedback signs and flashing warning lights on pedestals are expected to be in place and operational by the start of the 2025-26 school year this fall.
Similar to automated license plate readers, Blue Lines’ laser-based LiDAR technology provides precise automated speed enforcement, ensuring that only vehicles violating speed limits are cited. ASETs identify vehicles and capture their speed through the use of a laser beam. The cameras capture the tag number of vehicles traveling over the speed limit in school zones. Violators are then sent a citation in the mail. The penalty is a $50 fine but unlike a ticket issued by law enforcement agencies, the citation is considered a civil infraction and can’t go against a driver’s record or insurance. The city and Blue Line Solutions will split the revenues from payment of fines. The citations may still be challenged in the Smithville Municipal Court.
“All the violations will come to us in Chattanooga,” said Ryan Moore of Blue Line Solutions. “ A POST certified officer also has to review the citations. Tickets are then sent out by us and we collect and take care of all the money. On the 15th of every month you (city) will get a revenue report on how many people paid their fines”.
For the first 30 days of operation, violators will be sent only warning letters. Following that 30-day period citations will be issued to those who have exceeded the 25 miles per hour school zone speed limit by at least 11 miles per hour (36 mph) but only after a review of each case by the Smithville Police Department. No citations will be issued from this system when school is not in session or at other times of the day or night.
“The police department has the final say in who gets the citation,” explained Moore. “They (police) have to review it and look at the time stamp. It has to be approved by a post certified officer. Chief Mark Collins will review each citation before the letter goes out,” said Moore.
According to the agreement, there will be no cost to the city except for an initial investment for a traffic study (estimated $15,000) which is to be reimbursed by Blue Line. After the study, Blue Line will install the equipment and recoup its cost over time from the city’s share of fine proceeds.
During the public comment period Monday night, Steven Cantrell spoke out in opposition to the proposal.
“I am very concerned about Blue Line Solutions coming in here because it’s a money-making project, primarily for Blue Line, not for Smithville,” said Cantrell. “I have seen this type of organization work in the Washington DC area, challenges with calibration of the equipment, the fact that the equipment is operating on non-school days, the fact of people having to appeal the tickets and the challenges of not being able to appeal the ticket in a normal courtroom fashion because there is not a witness available, only the camera. In the DC area some of the cameras actually have videotape and I have had partners and colleagues who have taken the video tape to court to show that the ticket they were issued was incorrect and that it actually shows they were not speeding, it was another vehicle,” said Cantrell.
“There is a procedure to have an appeal,” said City Attorney Vester Parsley. “They (accused) have a right to have a representative from Blue Line come and testify (city court) about how the process works and how they take the picture, etc. If that hearing turns out against the city, that’s it. The city will benefit by receiving $25 as it (agreement) is currently written. Fifty dollars is what the cost is, $25 of which goes to Blue Line. Yes, it is a financial benefit to Blue Line. They provide all the equipment. Before this goes further, we will have to have a traffic study. That study will be paid for by Blue Line after we hire someone (to do the traffic study). There is a procedure for discontinuing the contract. It sets out some criteria and deadlines that have to be met,” said Parsley.
“We will erect a photo enforced sign on every side street into a school zone and at the end of each school zone before you go in, we will put up a radar feedback sign on a 14-foot pole using LiDAR single beam technology,” Moore explained. “After they (motorists) pass that last sign, they will have between 300 and 600 feet to slow down. This will be lane specific meaning we will monitor both lanes going east and west on highway 70 & 56, so it catches everybody coming and going both ways,” said Moore.