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Takoma Park Police have begun issuing warnings to speeders on New Hampshire and Ethan Allen avenues with the help of four new speed cameras on the busy roads.

Two cameras in the 7200 block of New Hampshire monitor the northbound and southbound lanes while the other two cameras, located in the 500 block of Ethan Allen, cover the eastbound and westbound lanes of that road. The cameras have been up for about two weeks, but police have only been using them for enforcement since Monday, according to City Police Chief Ronald Ricucci.

The cameras will be used to issue warnings to speeders until April 1, after which citations will be issued to motorists going 11 mph or more over the speed limit, Ricucci said.

"It's a program run by the city. It's being enforced by the city police," Ricucci said. "This program was started two years ago; we took our time and we acted in what I think was the right way."

A total of 413 crashes occurred on New Hampshire in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, police issued 501 citations for speeding with an average speed of 50 mph, which is 15 miles over the speed limit. A total of 32 collisions occurred on Ethan Allen in the same time period.

Ricucci said the cameras will generate revenue, but the primary reason for having them is to increase driver and pedestrian safety in the city.

"If it'd been for revenue, it would've been up four years ago," Ricucci said. "Whatever revenue we get will go toward making the city safer."

ACS Solutions, a contracting company employed by the county and municipalities, installed the cameras at no expense to the city. The revenue from citations will be split between ACS and the city, which will use its share for infrastructure projects such as new sidewalks and bike lanes, Ricucci said.

The City Council approved the cameras following the results of a study of average speeds on city roads. The New Hampshire Avenue Crossroads Development Authority also approved the cameras for its area unanimously at its last monthly board meeting Thursday.

"There's full support for anything that will reduce the harm to pedestrians and drivers alike in the Crossroads," said CDA Executive Director Erwin Mack.

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) included a recommendation in his presentation of the fiscal 2010 operating budget to increase the number of speed cameras in the county from 36 to 66 at an estimated cost of about $5.8 million.

The revenue from the new cameras would be used to expand the county police's centralized gang, family crimes and traffic divisions, among other pedestrian safety initiatives, according to Leggett's comments on the budget recommendations.