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Delegate Steve Arance introduces bill to allow speed cameras on US 301 in Queen Anne's County
Summary
At the House Environment and Transportation Committee on March 19, Delegate Steve Arance presented House Bill 1630 to authorize speed-monitoring systems on a portion of US 301 in Queen Anne's County, citing several recent serious crashes and a 55 mph limit. Members asked whether a prior law or an MDOT/State Highway amendment would already cover the stretch; no vote was taken.
Delegate Steve Arance introduced House Bill 1630 at a March 19 meeting of the House Environment and Transportation Committee, seeking authorization to place and use speed-monitoring systems on a portion of U.S. Route 301 in Queen Anne’s County.
"For the record, I'm Delegate Steve Arance," he said, arguing the bill responds to a safety problem on the corridor he described as having a 55 mph speed limit and "several tragic accidents." Arance told the committee that State Highway submitted an amendment and that the agency and Maryland Department of Transportation staff are working to broaden the measure so it could be used in other parts of the state.
The bill sponsor said the need increased after a Delaware bypass opened, which he said has led to drivers failing to slow: "since Delaware opened up that bypass, it seems that no one coming down that road understands what a speed limit is," Arance said. He said he has support from the Queen Anne’s County commissioners and that State Highway would add language to make the approach more widely usable.
Committee members sought clarifications about the bill's scope. "Is this from the Delaware line down to Queenstown?" Delegate Morgan asked; Arance confirmed the geographic stretch is on U.S. 301 from the Delaware line to Queenstown. Delegate Jacobs asked whether an earlier bill this session that authorized camera placement in vulnerable areas might already cover the location. Arance and the chair said the issue may be affected by the amendment State Highway sent and recommended consulting State Highway/MDOT to determine whether the corridor qualifies under the existing vulnerable-areas framework.
No formal vote or committee action was recorded at the hearing. The chair closed consideration of House Bill 1630 for the day's subcommittee schedule and moved on to administrative scheduling announcements.
The committee returned to scheduling matters after the bill hearing; members were told the full committee will meet at 9 a.m. the following morning for a voting session and that subcommittees will meet through the afternoon to finalize work.
House Bill 1630 was presented for discussion; the committee did not take a vote during the March 19 hearing. Further procedural steps — including any MDOT or State Highway input and whether the bill will proceed to a committee vote — were left pending.
