Speed cameras in three Kingston school zones will reactivate on Sept. 8, the first day of the new school year. All money generated by the automated enforcement cameras through the end of the year will flow into a new fund created by the Kingston Common Council to pay for traffic safety projects citywide.

The cameras cover school speed zones around George Washington and JFK elementary schools and Kingston High School. The cameras log the speed and plate numbers of all passing vehicles. When a vehicle exceeds the posted speed limit, the system generates and sends to the registered owner of the vehicle a violation for $50. A $25 late fee is tacked on if the ticket is not paid within two weeks. The tickets are considered civil violations and do not add points to the violator's driver’s license.

The cameras went dormant on Aug. 19 when the Kingston City School District ended its summer session. Starting Sept. 8 they will resume operation during normal school hours – Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4p.m. at the elementary schools and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at KHS.

Since going live in April, the cameras have generated $327,000 in revenue with an additional $549,000 in pending payments. The revenue has greatly exceeded the $200,000 contained in the city’s 2026 budget. In June, Mayor Steve Noble asked the Kingston Common Council to create a special capital reserve fund using $50,000 in speed camera revenue over and above the $200,000 budgeted for 2026. But at its Aug. 4 meeting, the council voted unanimously to amend Noble’s proposal to direct all revenue from the cameras over $200,000 to the fund in 2026. The council also voted that starting next year, all speed camera revenue will go to the traffic safety fund.

The money will support the city’s efforts to create more bike- and pedestrian-friendly streets through small-scale safety enhancements like flashing crosswalk beacons, bollards or planters to block off no parking zones at intersections and traffic-calming “parklets.” The projects could originate in the Mayor’s office, the council or the volunteer Complete Streets Advisory Committee and will be designed and overseen by the city’s Engineering Office in accordance with state and federal standards.

In his June letter to the council proposing the new fund, Noble said that the allocation could also provide matching funds for state and federal grants and allow the city to work towards its traffic safety goals without taking on debt.

“Using one-time revenues to fund one-time capital investments is a sound financial practice that avoids creating recurring operating expenditures supported by a revenue source that may fluctuate from year to year,” Noble wrote. “In addition, dedicating a portion of excess traffic speed camera revenues to roadway safety improvements establishes a direct connection between the source of the revenue and investments that further improve public safety.”