ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR., Governor

S.B. 455

(a)     A local land preservation and recreation plan shall be submitted to the
Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Planning by July 1, 2005.

(b)     The Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan shall be prepared
and revised by the Department of Planning by July 1, 2006.

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect
October 1, 2003.

May 21, 2003

The Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr.
President of the Senate
State House
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with Article II, Section 17 of the Maryland Constitution today I have
vetoed Senate Bill 455 - Vehicle Laws - Speed Monitoring Systems - Radar Cameras.

Senate Bill 455 authorizes the use of speed monitoring systems to identify and fine
speeders in residential districts (as currently defined in law and also having a
maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour) and in school zones (as established in
current law). The bill would establish a maximum fine of the lesser of: (1) $100; (2)
the amount established by a local jurisdiction; or (3) the amount established by the
District Court penalty deposit schedule.

Current law provides for a fine not exceeding $500 and varying numbers of points for
speeding, with the number of points depending on how many miles per hour over the
speed limit the offender is traveling. The use of radar operated by police officers to
catch speeders is well-established practice.

The Department of Transportation has requested a veto of this bill. Although
acknowledging that speed cameras will reduce speed, the Department asserts that
there is no data to support the notion that speed cameras will reduce accidents. The
Department also raises serious concerns about how the current speed limits are set in
the State.

If this legislation were enacted, Maryland would be the first state in the country to
have a statewide program of this type. On the east coast, only Washington, D.C.
allows these speed systems. Inevitably with any new technology there will be issues
that must be resolved. The red light camera law is a case in point. I have recently
signed legislation (Chapter 218) designed to ensure that the timing of lights is
uniform. Further, there is currently a court challenge to the constitutionality of the
Washington, D.C. speed camera program. The legal and technological issues should
be litigated and refined in other jurisdictions before Maryland implements the
program.

Further, there is no uniform method for establishing speed limits and no requirement
that safety-engineering principles be used when establishing speed limits. I
understand that the Federal Highway Administration is now in the process of

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