Dive Brief:
- Philadelphia reported 50% fewer traffic fatalities and a 90% reduction in excessive speeding along Roosevelt Boulevard in the first seven months following installation of automated speed cameras, according to Streetlight Data, a transportation data analytics company.
- The 12-lane highway through densely populated neighborhoods in Northeast Philadelphia has a posted speed limit of 45 mph. A Streetlight Data analysis found that before speed cameras, the mean speed along one segment where there have been many fatal crashes was 51 mph at 8 a.m. on an average Tuesday.
- After a year with automated speed enforcement, the mean speed of vehicles on that stretch of road dropped to 46 mph, just above the speed limit. The total number of crashes along Roosevelt Boulevard dropped 36% in the first year with speed cameras while declining just 6% citywide, according to a 2023 report from the Pennsylvania State Transportation Advisory Committee. Crashes were less severe in 2021, which the PSTAC said is most likely due to reduced speeds.
Dive Insight:
Traffic deaths in the U.S. soared 25% from 2013 to 2023, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Eighteen percent of drivers were speeding when they crashed, according to a 2024 NHTSA research note looking at data from 2022. Philadelphia’s Roosevelt Boulevard is considered by some to be one of the most dangerous roads in the United States.
In June 2020, Philadelphia installed speed cameras along eight segments of Roosevelt Boulevard known for high crash rates. Many of the residents along this road are from disadvantaged communities, according to Streetlight Data, and the roadway largely lacks pedestrian safety infrastructure such as pedestrian islands or signalized crossings. In 2023 the state secured a $14.5 million federal grant that will go toward curb extensions, realigned crosswalks and lane configurations, improved traffic signals and new or renovated transit stops along Roosevelt Boulevard.
According to Streetlight Data, overall speeds in the measured segment continued to decline into this year, with a larger percentage of drivers traveling at or below the 45 mph speed limit. But the company’s analysis identified nine additional segments of the boulevard as high-speed areas where safety interventions are warranted.
