EVERETT — City officials are asking the City Council to authorize soliciting bids from automated traffic camera companies to have red light cameras in the city. A vote is scheduled at the Wednesday, Nov. 17 council meeting that is after press time. The meeting starts earlier than usual at 5:30 p.m.
Earlier this year, six intersections were being considered for adding a camera or two, plus potentially adding a school speed zone camera along Casino Road for Horizon Elementary.
The city’s traffic engineer will provide details on which intersections at this week’s meeting.
A camera company would install the cameras and process the ticket data. State law requires an officer to review each recording to decide if it is a ticketable violation.
It will require an additional four full-time staff members and “an estimated first-year cost of $504,000,” a memo to council states.
The city is not approaching the idea as a revenue generator. It predicts automated ticket cameras may be revenue-neutral.
The infraction ticket would be a $124 civil penalty. An infraction would not go against your driving record. Contested tickets would go before Everett Municipal Court.
CORRECTION
In this article, the story reported the city might reduce the number of intersections where it is thinking of installing photo enforcement cameras. This was incorrect and was derived from a presumptive deduction from written material listing a plan to purchase nine such cameras. The Tribune regrets the error.
