At a press conference on March 8 in Ellicott City,  Howard County Executive Ken Ulman announced that he would send legislation to the Howard County Council for approval to put  two van-mounted mobile speed cameras in school zones at the start of the next school year.  In a Baltimore Sun story, Ulman stated during the press conference that his plan would also  allow the county to later install as many cameras as police deem necessary.

Ulman pledged that “every single dollar generated will go back into traffic safety,” which could include crosswalks and sidewalks. He and police chief William J. McMahon said the county would own and operate the speed camera equipment and police officers would sign the tickets to reassure the public that the program is doing what it is supposed to do, not just raise revenue.

McMahon said a 48-hour weekday speed survey of 100 public and private schools in the county found that two-thirds of motorists were exceeding the posted speed limits and 18 percent were traveling more than 12 miles over the limit — the threshold for issuing a $40 speed camera ticket under a state enabling law approved in 2009.