Temple Terrace is moving toward automated speed cameras in school zones after traffic studies found more than 1,000 speeding violations outside one campus in just three days, part of a broader review that identified five schools where city officials say speeding has become a recurring safety concern.
The City Council will consider the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday establishing a School Speed Zone Enforcement Program, with a second and final vote scheduled for July 21.
If approved, Temple Terrace would join a growing number of Florida municipalities using automated enforcement authorized under a 2023 state law.
The ordinance identifies Greco Middle School, Woodmont Charter School, Temple Terrace Elementary School, Lewis Elementary School and Riverhills Elementary Magnet School as heightened-safety-risk areas eligible for enforcement.
Traffic studies commissioned by the city documented speeding at each location, providing the basis for the recommendation before council.
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The largest concentration of violations occurred outside Woodmont Charter School on Serena Drive, where RedSpeed Florida recorded 1,061 violations among 4,636 vehicles during a three-day study, or about 23% of all traffic.
A separate survey outside Riverhills Elementary Magnet School on South Riverhills Drive documented 644 violations among 4,490 vehicles over the same period.
Similar studies were conducted at the remaining campuses covered by the ordinance.
The proposal authorizes automated speed enforcement during active school zone hours, with recorded violations reviewed before citations are issued.
State law requires municipalities to conduct a public awareness campaign and install warning signs before enforcement begins, and Temple Terrace plans to launch the program first at Greco Middle School and Lewis Elementary School, then expand to the remaining designated campuses.
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