Dear KTFC Members & Friends:
As many of you know, Pennsylvania is the only state in the nation that doesn’t allow municipal police to use radar for speed enforcement. A unanimous vote following a hearing in the House Transportation Committee may portend the end of that prohibition.
The committee voted 25-0 to send Rep. Greg Rothman’s bill to the full House. If the House approves the measure, it will advance to the Senate and would still face Governor Wolf’s approval.
Rothman, a Cumberland County Republican, said the issue is about public safety. Radar is much easier to use to measure the speed of vehicles. The bill includes the following restrictions:
- Municipalities would need to authorize police to use radar.
- Municipal police would need to be stationary while clocking speeds.
- Drivers who are traveling 10 mph or higher over the speed limit (55 mph or less) could be ticketed. This does not apply in school zones or active construction areas.
- Revenue from speeding tickets cannot exceed more than 10 percent of the municipality’s budget for the year.
In addition to municipalities, the measure has the support of State Police and the PA Chiefs of Police Association.
— The Wolff
TRANSPORTATION ISSUE UPDATE
- A bill that would enable municipal law enforcement to use radar for speed enforcement passed unanimously in a House committee
- The House Transportation Committee held a hearing on PennDOT’s plan to toll nine bridges across the Commonwealth in order to raise revenue for their repair or replacement.
- The merger between rabbittransit and Capital Area Transit continues to move forward.
- Governor Wolf launched an initiative to phase out the PA liquid fuel taxes and appointed a commission to explore alternatives to generate revenue for transportation.