Auburn to expand traffic camera enforcement

In 2022, based on a two-day study, the city restored cameras to school zones.

In Auburn, as elsewhere in Washington, red light photo critics in the early to mid-2000s claimed that the city’s sole intention in implementing the program was to fatten its purse.

Yet, when drivers noticed and began easing off the pedal, resulting in fewer infractions issued, the city concluded that the expense of running the program outweighed its benefits, and pulled the plug in 2014.

In 2022, however, based on a two-day study, the city restored cameras to school zones.

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“The objective today is to improve safety, and specifically to reduce the likelihood of crashes that cause serious injuries or fatalities,” city engineer Jacob Sweeting, assistant public works director for the city of Auburn, explained to the Auburn City Council at its June 23 study session, alongside Public Works Director Ingrid Gaub.

Cameras outside school zones

With adoption of the city’s 2025-2026 biennial budget, the city council approved the expansion of automated traffic safety camera enforcement of speeding violations to places outside of the school zones.

At present, the city is conducting an analysis in accordance with the new legislative requirements to identify and evaluate additional locations where the traffic safety cameras would further support its transportation safety goals.

Public works also proposed amendments to Auburn city code, which are required to align it with recently-adopted legislation regarding automated traffic safety cameras.

Recent history

Over two days in February 2022, Sweeting said, the city studied 28 different school zones using detection cables across the roadway. The data the city got back, Sweeting said, was “somewhat troublesome” because of the sheer number of speeders.

In each of the school zones, Sweeting continued, the study revealed that 7 percent to 45 percent of all the vehicles measured were speeding above the 20 mph posted limit, even while kids were present or the warning beacons were flashing. In that two-day period, data showed that more than 5,000 vehicles were speeding through the school zones.

In addition, any pedestrian who is struck by a vehicle doing 30 mph runs a 45 percent chance of serious injury or death, whereas at 20 mph, the risk falls to just about 5 percent, according to the city.

In March 2022, the city council reinstated the schoolz one program via an agreement with its new and current vendor, Bar Mobility. The vendor installed the first cameras in May 2023, starting with five, and in September added seven more, for a total of 12.

In selecting those school zones, public works not only considered areas with the highest rates of speeding. It also decided to spread out the cameras to achieve a balance throughout the city, and added equity components so the city would not place more cameras in one area than in another.

All of the cameras installed in 2023 are in effect today in the following eight school zones:

• Lakeland Hills Elementary School, Lakeland Hills Way SE, northbound.

• Ilalko Elementary School and Riverside High School, Oravetz Road SE, both directions.

• Mt. Baker Middle School, on 37th Street SE, eastbound.

• Gildo Rey Elementary, M Street Southeast, southbound.

• Evergreen Heights Elementary School, 316th Street, both directions.

• Arthur Jacobson Elementary School and Mountainview High School 132nd Ave. SE, both directions.

• Olympic Middle School and Pioneer Elementary School on 21st Street SE, both directions.

• Olympic Middle School, eastbound on 17th Street SE.

“Slowing the cars down matters, and that is the objective of these cameras,” said Sweeting.

More numbers

Sweeting presented a graph showing how the cameras performed in 2024 and affected driver behavior as follows:

• 23,018 citations were issued in 2024 compared to 14,292 in 2023.

• The remittance rate was 57 percent.

• Citation revenue collected: $2.63 million.

•2024 direct program costs: $880,000.

Discussion turned to the update to Auburn’s city code to align it with state law that allows for speed enforcement outside school zones, subject to the following limitations:

• 1 camera per 10,000 residents at places where speeding increases the risk of crashes, requiring analysis to consider equity and alternatives.

• New cameras will require revenues to be shared with the state under certain conditions.

• Sets fines for each infraction to $145, except for infractions in school zones where they will remain at $200.