SPOKANE, Wash. — The City of Spokane has 23 traffic cameras placed across the city that monitor drivers’ speed and any red-light violations, but are they helping people feel safer?
In 2008, the City of Spokane installed a few traffic cameras and started its Intersection Program to encourage safer driving. Today, there are 15 red light cameras at 10 different intersections and eight photo speed cameras in five different school zones.
Out of the four photo speed cameras that were up and running in September, the one near 2nd Avenue and Thor Street captured the most violations.
Even so, some people who live near the traffic cameras said they continue to see speeding near their homes.
“It is really scary,” said Micki Brooks who lives near 3rd Avenue and Freya Street.
Brooks is a mother of two who lives near a photo red camera that typically logged almost 2,000 citations in 2023.
She said despite the cameras, she is worried for her kids’ safety.
“Even walking my son to school is really hard, just trying to cross the crosswalk, cars just speed right through the red,” she said.
Research shows that cameras have substantially reduced photo red violations and intersection crashes, but Brooks says she has seen little improvement. “Even after school [cars] try to run the red light,” she said.
Photo red and photo speed cameras combined make the city between $5-6 million a year from citations. Those funds go towards traffic calming projects.
Others who live close to the photo speed camera near Ridgeline Elementary said they noticed a positive impact from the cameras, and that speeding cars have decreased in school zones.
The city is currently working on adding cameras at two more locations.
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