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D.C. police placing speed cameras at 9 new locations

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON – D.C. police are placing speed cameras at nine new locations in the nation’s capital this week.

Beginning Monday, cameras were placed in locations police say have a high number of crashes and injuries, calls for service and high speed volume. The department says it also considered location requests from transportation officials and civic associations.

Speeders caught by the cameras Monday through Dec. 21 will receive warning citations, police say. Beginning Dec. 21, tickets will be issued.

Police also added 19 camera locations in September. Adding the new sites was sharply criticized by AAA Mid-Atlantic, which contends the city aims to bring in additional revenue with the devices.

The group says the city’s speed camera program brought in $43.1 million in revenue while issuing 533,000 tickets in fiscal 2010, and netted $30.3 million in revenue in the first seven months of fiscal 2011.

“One would think that traffic safety in the city must be going south with this infusion of new camera sites, or the city’s coffers desperately need replenishing,” AAA spokesman Lon Anderson says in a press release on the program’s expansion. “So, if traffic safety isn’t the issue, we must conclude that the city is more concerned that the $43 million netted last fiscal year in automated speeding enforcement was insufficient.”

In her own statement, D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier touted the District’s success in reducing traffic fatalities and credited the speed camera program as a contributor to the effort. The District saw a record-low 25 traffic fatalities last year.

“I find it astounding that AAA Mid-Atlantic would criticize a program that has been successful in reducing traffic deaths,” Lanier says. “Additionally, we constantly receive requests from residents and Councilmembers for increased enforcement in their neighborhoods and we move our resources to new sites to accommodate those requests and reduce speeding, fatalities and crashes.”

The new camera locations are below:


View D.C. unveils 9 new speed cameras in a larger map

  • 1900 block of Foxhall Road NW, north and southbound directions
  • 2800 block of Calvert Street NW, eastbound
  • 2300 block of Connecticut Avenue NW, southbound
  • 100 block of Florida Avenue NW, east and westbound
  • 4200 block of South Capitol SW, southbound
  • 2300 block of Porter Street NW, east and westbound
  • Canal Road NW .3 miles south of Arizona Avenue NW, north and southbound
  • DC-295 NE at Benning Road overpass, northbound
  • DC-295 SW .7 miles south of Exit 1, north and southbound

For more speed camera locations in the District, click here.

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(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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