GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — Garfield Heights residents will vote on a charter amendment next month, allowing the city to install photo enforcement cameras along Interstate 480.
Issue 19 will appear on the Nov. 5th ballot.
Garfield Heights Mayor Matt Burke said the charter amendment was proposed in response to complaints from residents about speeding and a spike in crashes on the highway.
"I'm not looking to hide a guy in the bushes," Burke said. "It's all about making sure they (drivers) slow down because it is pretty treacherous out there."
Burke said a six-day traffic study along the stretch of I-480 through Garfield Heights found 18,356 vehicles speeding over 75 mph.
"I think we live in a day and age where there’s people that are going over the speed limit and not paying attention to what they’re doing," Burke said.
Burke said 50% of any funds collected from speed camera citations would go towards safety services, streets and infrastructure, parks and senior services.
Burke said the rest of the money would go towards operational costs.
However, not everyone supports using speed cameras to enforce traffic laws.
OH Rep. Tom Patton (R-District 17) said it can take weeks or months for drivers to receive citations, and significant amounts of revenue end up in the hands of private companies operating the cameras.
He introduced House 416 earlier this year, which requires tickets to be issued within 72 hours of capturing a driver on camera, among other new regulations.
READ MORE: Ohio proposal would regulate speed cameras
Burke said some details of the photo enforcement program have yet to be determined, including where the cameras would be placed along I-480 and how much photo enforcement tickets would cost drivers.
