Some pedestrian safety programs important to the city is on the chopping block. The Seattle Department of Transportation is reportedly facing a $6.5 million shortfall in school zone camera revenue. It is being said that more officers are needed to do the administrative part of the process.
Washington state law requires law enforcement officers to issue camera citations directly within 14 days of the traffic violation. Some think this task takes officers off the streets where they are needed in order to push paper. That paper, however, makes money for the city’s important pedestrian safety projects. This task going to civilian workers may be the next move.
The city is now expecting new revenue to be only $1 million per year in new money. This forecast is considered small as school zone cameras are expected to go from 35 to 70 cameras. According to Seattle’s Office of Economic and Revenue Forecasts, revenue coming from new cameras was “not as high as it had been in previous new installation situations.”
The funds are important and support local, award-winning safety projects. By law, 100% of the proceeds (after overhead costs) from school zone speed cameras are allocated to pedestrian safety projects. The anticipated shortfall represents nearly 25% of what had been anticipated.
In the last two years, SDOT installed cameras at five area schools. The last time cameras were installed was in 2015. It is being challenged that the program is a bust due to police leadership not getting it figured out. Pokice leadership has asserted that recently SPD had reshuffled officers that were assigned to desk duty to work on camera tickets. They said the department was back on track in sending out citations.
