Over 30,000 speeding violations in Muscogee school zones this year. Here’s where
Tens of thousands of speeding violations have been recorded by Muscogee County school zone cameras since the automated program started last year, according to data the Columbus Police Department provided the Ledger-Enquirer.
The violations, reported at 20 elementary and middle schools, happened most often at Davis Elementary School. The program was phased in last year. Warnings were issued for a while, but now all speeders in all of the program’s school zones will be subject to fines, CPD announced last month. The warning period hasn’t ended for every participating school, but it will by the end of August.
The Muscogee County School District’s School Zone Safety Program, launched last year, is a partnership with CPD and Illinois-based RedSpeed USA, which provides automated photo enforcement of speed monitoring.
Based on data determining the zones with a history of the most speeding violations in the district, the partnership selected 20 of MCSD’s 54 schools to pilot the local version of the program, CPD Cpl. Aaron Hoffa, the program’s coordinator, told the Ledger-Enquirer last year.
Cameras are active from one hour before each school day begins to one hour after classes end. Owners of vehicles traveling more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit will be mailed a ticket. Fines cost $80 for the first violation and $130 for each additional violation.
Here are CPD’s statistics for 2025 speeding violations in MCSD school zones:
Elementary schools
- Davis: 13,350 (601 dismissed); warning period started Jan. 27; citations started March 3.
- Martin Luther King Jr.: 5,896 (1,114 dismissed); warning period started March 24; citations started May 12.
- Georgetown: 3,280 (96 dismissed); warning period started April 7; citations started May 19.
- Lonnie Jackson: 1,383 (180 dismissed); warning period started March 27; citations started May 15.
- Waddell: 1,179 (51 dismissed); warning period started Feb. 27; citations started April 14.
- Rigdon Road: 889 (8 dismissed); warning period started April 22; citations starting Aug. 11.
- River Road: 842 (82 dismissed); warning period started April 7; citations started May 19.
- Hannan: 870 (733 dismissed); warning period started May 12; citations starting Sept. 2.
- Blanchard: 748 (33 dismissed); warning period started Jan. 7; citations started March 5.
- Wynnton: 684 (166 dismissed); warning period started March 27; citations started May 15.
- Forrest Road: 646 (100 dismissed); warning period started March 24; citations started May 12.
- Eagle Ridge: 613 (188 dismissed); warning period started March 27; citations started May 15.
- Dimon: 201 (28 dismissed); warning period started March 24; citations started May 19.
- Reese Road: 135 (24 dismissed); warning period started March 24; citations started May 12.
- Clubview: 1 (0 dismissed); warning period started May 5; citations starting Aug. 25.
Middle schools
- Midland: 2,300 (87 dismissed); warning period started Jan 27; citations started March 11.
- Eddy: 209 (24 dismissed); warning period started April 7; citations started May 19.
- Double Churches: 201 (3 dismissed); warning period started April 14; citations started Aug. 4.
- Blackmon Road: 96 (2 dismissed); warning period started March 24; citations started May 12.
- Fort: 19 (1 dismissed); warning period started May 5; citations starting Aug. 25.
‘Just slow down’
CPD Sgt. Dean Spata, who monitors the MCSD school zone speeding program, told the L-E he isn’t aware of any pedestrians being hit by a vehicle in one of these zones during this period. But when he looks at this data, he urges motorists to not risk such a tragedy.
“It’s painfully obvious that folks aren’t slowing down (in school zones),” he said. “… I mean, I just pulled the latest batch (of reports from last week). … Why does someone think it’s necessary to do 70 on River Road? … We have a problem.”
Spata estimated the automated cameras are saving CPD at least 100 police officers from having to enforce these speed limits in person.
Since the intersection known as the Spiderweb — a half-mile section of Buena Vista Road near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard — closed April 7 for approximately two years to build a bridge over the railroad tracks, some nearby schools have had an increase in traffic through their zones as motorists unfamiliar with that route follow the detour signs.
Spata figures the Spiderweb closure could be contributing to the extremely high number of speeding violations at some schools.
“People underestimated the size of the Spiderweb and the part it plays in traffic patterns,” he said. “… That’s why streets like Brown Avenue and Cusseta Road are seeing an uptick in violations.”
Nonetheless, that’s no excuse for speeding in a school zone, Spata insisted.
“There are a thousand things that we face as drivers on a daily basis,” he said. “But you have to adapt. Just slow down. … At the end of the day, it’s your job to maintain proper speed and control of your vehicle.”
Asked whether he thinks this program will reduce the number of speeding violations in school zones, Spata said, “It’s a little too early to predict.”
Dismissed violations
Among the 33,542 speeding violations in these school zones, 10% (3,521) have been dismissed. Spata listed the following reasons for a dismissal:
- While reviewing the violation, the evidence does not show a clear violation. Usually, this is two or more vehicles in the camera field of view that would lead a reasonable person to question which one was the actual violator.
- If it’s a Columbus Consolidated Government vehicle, Spata said, “We send a screenshot of the violation to the driver’s supervisor(s), and they discipline the drivers according to city/department policies.”
- License plate is obstructed.
- Registered owner cannot be determined.
- Tag or vehicle was reported stolen at the time of the violation.
- Tag doesn’t match the vehicle seen in the violation.
- Vehicle is an emergency vehicle with lights and siren active, heading to a call for service.
For more information about this program, call 706-641-5992 or email schoolzonesafety@columbusga.org.
