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Council discusses speed-camera rollout and proposed Main Street/Tire Avenue signal changes amid strong neighborhood opposition
Summary
Council heard detailed staff briefings about the city’s speed-camera program and the possible replacement of the Main Street/Tire Avenue signal with all-way stop control; staff set an October 13 anticipated go-live for cameras and scheduled further council consideration on Main Street thresholds after public comment opposing signal removal.
City staff and council spent substantial time on July 14 discussing implementation of Newark’s new automated speed-camera program and community opposition to a proposed conversion of the traffic signal at Main Street and Tire Avenue to an all‑way stop.
City Manager reported an anticipated go‑live date of Oct. 13 for the speed-camera program but said several vendor and program details still require completion. Staff reminded council the base law allows citations for speeds 11 mph or more over the posted limit; Main Street was authorized by statute to carry a lower enforcement threshold (6 mph over) but the city must advertise and formally set that threshold before citations can be issued there. Staff said rotation plans will cover roughly 15 streets (two directions each for most, yielding about 30 camera positions) and that Main Street’s inclusion in a single camera rotation would cut its camera frequency; council could instead add a permanent or second camera at Main Street — an additional camera would cost roughly $7,000–$8,000 per month (staff estimated about $84,000 annually) and that cost could be covered by ticket revenues but uncertain revenue levels mean the city could not count on a positive surplus (excess goes to state highway safety office under program rules).
Multiple residents and community stakeholders urged the council not to remove the traffic signal at Main Street and Tire Avenue. Speakers including Tina Jackson, Eric Walters and others told council the intersection is heavily used by Newark High School students, people with mobility challenges, and long-term residents; they argued an all‑way stop would create pedestrian safety problems, channel traffic into nearby residential cut-through streets such as Delaware Circle and Thompson Circle, and delay school buses. One written public comment cited DelDOT guidelines and traffic counts and argued Main Street’s average daily traffic exceeds thresholds where all‑way stops are considered safe for pedestrian control.
Council members acknowledged the concerns. Councilwoman Ford thanked the city manager for working with the community to retain the light for now; staff said discussion of Main Street threshold and whether to keep the light as-is will appear on an upcoming agenda after required public notice. Councilman Bancroft and others noted ongoing complaints about speeding on neighborhood streets and voiced support for enforcement tools.
No final action to change the signal at Tire Avenue was taken; council scheduled a separate advertised item and further staff analysis before a vote. The cameras program timeline and Main Street threshold remain to be finalized in future council sessions.
