The City of Edmonds will begin operating its automated camera enforcement systems at two intersections starting Friday, March 28 — but there will be a 30-day warning period before tickets are issued.
Red-light camera equipment has been installed in two locations:
– 220th Street Southwest and Highway 99
– 100th Avenue West and Edmonds Way/Highway 104
After a 30-day warning period, the program will begin issuing citations for all red-light violations. Any vehicle captured failing to stop at a red light or turning right without coming to a complete stop will be sent a citation of $145. Citations will be issued starting April 28.
“These cameras have been proven to be effective in reducing crashes and serious injuries,” said Mayor Mike Rosen. “We want to stop this behavior in Edmonds before it becomes fatal and ensure our roads are safe for drivers and pedestrians.”
Mayor Rosen, show us the fatality, injury, incident data at these intersections. Tell us the amount of money the contract red light camera company receives and what Edmonds receives. We live in Edmonds and not Lynnwood for a reason. Revenue, not safety.
Exactly Tom.
Good. Like the speed bumps/tables, a lamentable necessity, but if people continue to drive as carelessly, something has to be done. We have brought this on ourselves.
Rosen would never build a speed bumps or any traffic calming measures because those don’t issue tickets and this is not about safety. This is about revenue. Let’s see things for what they really are: a cash grab. Even downtown is full of opportunities to improve safety but the most Edmonds does is paint a crossing. Paint is a false safety measure. Paint doesn’t stop a car.
I just got a citation 145 for slowing way down (0.11 mph)and turning on a yellow. Of course the biggest hit job Lynnwood 44th/196
Tom, I am very pleased that there are no speed bumps/tables on 220th St. I have no problem slowing down to 20mph when the school speed zone lights are flashing. I would find it irritating to have to slow down from the normal posted speed limit for no apparent reason.
I recommend that you go to the Edmonds City website and look for the Traffic Calming Program. It states where traffic speed bumps/tables are located besides on Olympic View Drive. It also outlines the process the city follows in determining where the it places them.
Paul, I find white lines very useful when crossing roads. I use them to determine the safest place to traverse the street. Often I find there crossing flags or lights.
Matthew, bike lanes were paid for through federal grant money specially allocated for them. I do not wish to antagonize those who live on 9th Ave. I find that the light at 220th St and the two stop signs at Walnut St and Main St, help keep my speed under control.
I don’t get it, if you don’t want a ticket, slow down. And stop at stop signs, lights and crosswalks. If the city makes money from those who think the speed limit and traffic laws aren’t for them, sounds like a bonus to me.
We have speed tables by our house and they are crucial to pedestrian safety along the shared Interurban Trail. Maybe speed tables on 9th would have been more effective/holistic than bike lanes. Also wondering, has the definition changed for a stop-sign? Kind of seems optional now.
This is not about safety. Road design improvements are about safety but this changes nothing. This is simply the latest attempt from Major Rosen to raise revenue. These will be everywhere like in Lynnwood as the Major continues to resist systematic zoning changes to encourage business development that will bring revenue. When Edmonds first installed its cameras along schools under the guise of safety, I knew it was only a matter of time before it saw the money flow and they became addicted to traffic cameras as a means of revenue. I suppose I’m not surprised considering I never saw a single plan from Rosen to do anything different than just doubling down on the bad decisions that have made Edmonds the most troubled city in the area
Disgusting. I agree with Tom Johnson. Show us the backup and look at the budget. It seems to be more about extracting more from an already burdened community. Live within your means without taxing and penalizing your citizens to death.
I’m not a huge fan of these traffic cameras either, but it is something I can control. I’d rather this than more taxes!! Drive correctly and it won’t cost you a dime.
I wish Olympic View Drive had speed cameras instead of four speed bumps.
Didn’t Olympic View Drive also want its own dedicated traffic officer? Is there a reason that this one street has 4 speed bumps installed over a very short distance? Could it be the multi-million dollar homes? No other speed bumps has been installed in all of the Edmonds since those 4 were installed. No other street has 4 speed bumps. Not in front of any Edmonds’ school. Not in front of any senior living facility. Not in town with all the pedestrians. Not on my street.
I’ve also questioned why the speed bumps on that small section of OVD.
There are a lot more streets deserving of speed bumps than OVD.
(FTR I’m against cameras)
Got to start somewhere, but possibly because of all the blind/hidden drives?
Yes, there’s a reason this street has those speed bumps.the city has a very small budget for traffic calming project each year. All the neighborhoods have to ask for a project to be built on their street, and get signatures to support it. Then the City staff ranks them in order of importance. (My neighborhood has asked multiple times for the 84th and 236th stretch of road). After several years of applying , OVD neighbors ‘won’. The City staff decided what to install – and those closely spaced bumps is what they the thought was best. All this is reviewed at City Council meetings.
Why? The speed tables work. We need them on 9th Ave N, people treat it like a free on ramp. With two crosswalks and in between two schools its dangerous
I consider getting a ticket for commuting a traffic violation an aggravating situation whether it’s administered by a traffic camera or a police officer. As a taxpayer I think it is cheaper and a better use of police resources to have cameras notifying drivers that they are breaking a law of the road, while also providing some revenue to the city. As a driver, bicyclist or pedestrian, I feel safer knowing that there are more “eyes” in place watching the flow of traffic than there ever could be by just using police officers. Most especially knowing that traffic cameras are in place, I feel that students going to and from school are safer as drivers adhere to lower speed limits while in the presence of youngsters.
Some Comments: $1m of net revenue from Red light cameras or school zone speeding cameras is equal to a $62.50 tax on a $1m home.
If someone gets a ticket for $145 it is a quick reminder that ops, I was speeding or went through a camera zone. My bet is that person will very likely not get another violation at that same location. I would also bet that that person will pay more attention to camera zones in other locations as well.
Slowing down or not running a red lite does reduce that person’s actions contributing to an accident. But the better driving habits may improve safety for all but the data may not be directly attributed to the camera location.
All kinds of thing can be said about the ills of school zone cameras and red lite cameras but the only real truth is the net revenue adds to the city revs. $1m of ticket revenues does offset the need for taxes. See formula above.
The council was given some 50 plus ideas of new revenues, and many ideas have critics. Many do not produce much revenues but some can generate some good revenues. Some places charge for various kinds of mitigation. One mentioned by not discussed is a fire mitigation fee. New construction pays for parks, why not fire investments?
I live on OVD – this is the first I’ve heard of something so ridiculous as a dedicated officer. Perhaps one person made a wild suggestion and it got blown out of proportion on the net?
For the record, I and my neighbors are WAY below the “multi-million” level, though those those assessments have been creeping up through no fault of ours.
Great points from Darrol Haug, the thinking man’s, thinking man. Another thing I think it’s time to consider is some sort of fun pass for our city park system that is in really bad repair in some cases (Yost Park for example from an environmental viewpoint), and our worlds best dog park that is used by hundreds of people every single day and certainly not all Edmonds citizens. People are coming to the newly refurbished civic field park in busloads now. The state charges $30 for the year and $10.00 for the day in all parks except on some free days every once in awhile so people who can’t or won’t pay have a chance to use them too, just not anytime they want. I would happily pay a $30 fee for the, use of our parks for a year or $5 for a one time use on occasion. As to enforcement, it can just be an honor system, but you better have one on you if the police or city employees ask to see one if you aren’t behaving well or otherwise requiring attention for some reason. I.e , a stiff fine if you are caught vandalizing or camping out in the bathrooms or some such. Under 12 YOA free perhaps.
Red light cams at those two intersections make sense to me because they have significant transient / commuter traffic. 100th/Edmonds Way has thousands of ferry riders coming in and out of the area since it’s the main route to and from the terminal . Both intersections feed off from I-5.
I keep thinking about the ride alongs I did with EPD, which included observing and issues tickets/warnings to drivers that were speeding coming on to Edmonds Way from downtown. Many were non-residents coming from the ferry terminal.
I’m with Alicia on this. I don’t have a big problem with red light cameras used as either law enforcement or an income source. I got an “in the mail” ticket for speeding in a school zone on Greenwood in Seattle some years ago and it enraged me, but I never fail to hit the binders now whenever I see a school zone sign whether during school hours or not. Stopping at all stop lights and signs is just a no brainer if you call yourself a good driver.