Study Using Mathematical Models for Philadelphia Found up to 33 Percent Reduction in Reported Collisions After Speed Camera Installation.
An Evaluation Was Conducted to Assess the Effectiveness of Speed Cameras in Reducing Crashes at Eight Locations in Philadelphia from 2018 to 2022.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Urban Speed Cameras on Traffic Safety in a Period of Dramatic Change
Summary Information
Densely populated neighborhoods unfortunately often take a steep toll in terms of crashes, injuries, and traffic fatalities due to speeding along busy arterials. In Philadelphia, to improve safety, an automated speed enforcement program was launched in 2019, and speed cameras began operating in June 2020 at eight locations. This study used statistical models to evaluate the effectiveness of speed cameras at reducing crashes, injuries, and fatalities on and around Roosevelt Boulevard.
METHODOLOGY
In this study, to find the most appropriate control segments for the comparative analysis, the researcher applied clustering techniques to data on traffic volumes, roadway characteristics, and crashes and injuries from 2016 to 2017, and identified the five most similar roadways. In comparison to these roadways and other geographic controls, the treated sections of Roosevelt Boulevard were evaluated in terms of crashes, injuries, and fatalities before and after camera installation, from 2018 to 2022.
FINDINGS
- Model results showed 33 percent reduction in reported collisions after speed camera installation, compared to an increase of 0.4 percent on the most similar roadways and 14 percent on other arterials.
- Results also showed that monthly traffic fatalities increased across all geographies except for the treated Roosevelt Boulevard which saw a three percent decrease.
- Findings also revealed that, after the cameras were installed, the treated sections of the Boulevard had an average of 15-20 fewer reported collisions than would have been expected without the cameras.
