Annapolis committee hears update on speed-camera expansion as contract talks continue

Annapolis police and transportation officials updated the city's Transportation Committee on efforts to expand the municipal speed-camera program and said they are awaiting a final vendor report and contract revisions before moving forward.

Captain Thacker of the Annapolis Police Department told the committee that Red Speed completed two phases of data collection at four predesignated sites—West Street near the Michael Busch Public Library, Tyler Avenue near Stephanie Lane, Edgewood Road at Breakwater Drive and Duke of Gloucester by the city office building—and is finalizing a report for the city law office to review. "The city of Annapolis has gone into this transactional type business relationship and that would be Red Speed," he said.

Why it matters: committee members emphasized that contract terms will determine how much control the city retains over camera placement and how much revenue remains for local safety projects. Tara Ashmore, chair of the Annapolis Transportation Board, said a Bladensburg agreement with the same vendor showed the contractor taking roughly a third of revenue and a roughly $30,000 recap fee if a camera is withdrawn during implementation.

The county and state context: staff and committee members said state law constrains where cameras can be sited and how they operate. According to city staff, state rules allow cameras in school zones and in residential corridors with at least 300 feet of residences, require cameras to operate roughly 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and allow citations only for drivers at least 12 miles per hour over the posted limit. "Citations only are issued if someone's going at least 12 miles over the speed limit," said Captain Amy Meggeth, administrative services captain.

Contract and control concerns: several aldermen asked whether the vendor performs the study and whether the city can compel placement in locations requested by residents. Police said Red Speed performs the counts and prepares the analysis; the city asked the company to conduct the four-site study and is awaiting the vendor's final numbers. Staff also told the committee the current contract language gives the contractor the ability to decline locations it deems unprofitable, and the law office is negotiating to clarify those terms.

Finances and program costs: committee members pressed for estimates of how much the cameras might net for safety projects after vendor and administrative fees. Ashmore provided a back-of-envelope calculation based on a Bladensburg-style contract, saying roughly $540,000 to $550,000 would be needed to cover the salary-and-benefit cost of three officers assigned to the program before additional funds could flow to safety projects. Staff said the city has not yet received the study's revenue estimates and that Red Speed's analysis usually does not break speeds into the same violation bands that map cleanly to the fine schedule, complicating revenue projections.

Next steps: city staff and the law office will continue contract negotiations with Red Speed and said they expect further conversations by the end of the week or early next week. The committee asked staff to request the vendor's study, the current contract and any amendment history and to return with a clear estimate of projected revenues and the waterfall of fees if the existing contract remains in place. The committee will revisit the item at a future meeting after those materials are available.

Reporting note: committee members and several staff speakers repeatedly framed expansion as contingent on the vendor's final report and on upcoming contract revisions; no new camera installations or formal policy changes were approved at this meeting.