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Winter Garden adopts school-zone speed enforcement ordinance
Summary
The Winter Garden City Commission adopted Ordinance 25-01 to authorize speed-detection systems in designated school zones; commissioners discussed legislative limits on enforcement thresholds and heard a vendor cite a 66% crash reduction in another state. The vote was unanimous 5-0.
The Winter Garden City Commission adopted Ordinance 25-01 on Jan. 9, 2025, authorizing the use of speed-detection systems in designated school zones to address speeding near schools and pedestrian areas.
Police Chief Steve Graham told the commission the ordinance is intended to minimize the safety risk posed by motorists exceeding school-zone speed limits. Mayor John Rees asked whether the city could set enforcement to trigger at 5 mph over the limit; Chief Graham replied that state law establishes a 10-mph threshold for automated enforcement and suggested placing motor officers at locations as an alternative. City discussion compared automated-device enforcement to officer-issued tickets and noted differing fine structures and enforcement priorities.
Vendor representative Craig Parks of RedSpeed described the company’s reporting capabilities and told the commission, "He noted a 66% reduction in crashes as noted in the State of Georgia," citing that statistic as evidence of the system’s impact. During the public hearing resident Gretchen Tope raised concerns about the public perception that drivers might speed elsewhere if enforcement is concentrated only in school zones.
Commissioner Iliana R. Jones moved to adopt the ordinance; Commissioner Colin Sharman seconded and the measure passed unanimously, 5-0. The commission scheduled no further action on the ordinance beyond adoption and implementation planning.
