Waldo Fl. speed trap update
I don't have the link to the story but the famous (or infamous) Waldo, Fl. police dept. was dis-banded by the city council on Tuesday. The dept. is still under investigation by the FDLE. Reason give...
Forum Discussion
p220sigman wrote:
I don't know about other towns or states, but the article I linked to earlier clearly indicated that the Florida Department of Transportation set the speed limits in Waldo. "The limits were set at the sole direction — without input from Waldo — of the Florida Department of Transportation, which uses a method of traffic pattern analysis to determine prudent speeds. The 45-mph zone where the majority of the tickets in Waldo were written was created to slow down motorists for pedestrians who cross the highway for the flea market."
Additionally, even thought the PD is no more, there are no plans to change the speed limits. Also from the article, ""We are going to monitor the situation very closely and see how law enforcement handles it," FDOT Traffic Engineer Tony Falotico said about the speed limits in Waldo. "I firmly believe those speed limits are set at what they need to be."
Falotico also said the last study on the U.S. 301 speed limits in Waldo was conducted in 2012 and that FDOT has no plans to conduct another in the near future."
Personally, I've been through there many times and never remotely felt in danger of getting a ticket. I do completely agree that quotas for traffic enforcement are wrong and unethical, but I think you will see the other agencies who have jurisdiction there step up the enforcement efforts because it seems to be what the citizens of the community want them to do.
This is all you really need to know. DOT set those limits and places the signs. The Waldo police chief decided to make it a profit center for the town of Waldo. My guess is he didn't just come up with this on his own but was encouraged to do so by other town officials or due to corruption. The FDLE is investigating what went down there. I'm still going to drive the speed limit and it is actually easy to do regardless of all the "you have to stand on the brakes" hype. If you are travelling the speed limit approaching these areas there is no issue obeying the signs as you pass through. For pete's sake it takes 5 minutes tops.
