‘Children’s lives are at risk’: New traffic camera active in Everett to deter school zone speeding

EVERETT, Wash. — A new traffic camera is officially up and running to deter drivers from speeding in a school zone, an area that’s notorious to residents for speeding.

Two new school zone cameras have been placed on West Casino Road, near Horizon Elementary, which has the highest traffic volume in the city, according to city officials.

The City of Everett has been working to get these cameras for two years.

City council approved to install six red light traffic cameras and one school zone camera across the city in 2022.

The school zone camera began capturing drivers speeding Wednesday morning.

SCHOOL ZONE CAMERAS:

The City of Everett told KIRO 7 News that it has had issues around speeding on Casino Road for years.

A traffic study last year found 10,000 drivers a month went above the speed limit on the busy road, the city said.

“What they found was that over 90% of the traffic was doing 25 and higher. Over 70% of the traffic was still doing 10 over or 30 and higher, and we had 5% of vehicles doing over 20 over in the school zones. It’s a significant speeding issue here on West Casino Road,” said Corey Hert, Everett traffic engineer.

“We are at a 10-year low for crashes across the state, but we’re at a 10-year high for fatal crashes across the state of Washington,” he added.

The school zone camera will capture two photos and a brief video of drivers blowing past the speed limit.

The school zone speed near Horizon Elementary is 20 miles per hour, but Wednesday afternoon, KIRO 7 News saw a radar sign capturing drivers’ speeds of up to 42 miles per hour.

The cameras are only active from 8:15 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and from 3:25 p.m. to 4:25 p.m., which is when students typically arrive and leave school.

A flashing beacon along the road will notify drivers when the cameras are on.

For the next 30 days, drivers caught speeding will only receive a warning, however, the city will issue a $124 fine after the warning period.

Hert said the city wants residents to know about the new changes before it hands out possible fines.

“Getting out there and letting the drivers know, 30 days of warnings, we are expecting a 70% reduction in the number of violations. That is what other similar cities have found. That’s what we’re hoping with our outreach efforts,” he said.

The city will also communicate with the school district in case school times change.

RED-LIGHT TRAFFIC CAMERAS:

The City of Everett said it will install six red-light traffic cameras this summer, beginning in June.

“When we talk about injury accidents and fatal crashes in Everett, number one is pedestrians and number two are angle accidents, or T-bone style accidents. Those are the kinds of crashes that happen when people run red lights and that’s the issue we’re trying to solve,” Hert said.

The cameras will be placed at the following intersections:

-Northbound and southbound Broadway at 16th Street

-Northbound and southbound Rucker Avenue at 41st Street

-Northbound and eastbound Evergreen Way at Casino Road

-Northbound 4th Avenue W at Evergreen Way

-Southwest-bound Everett Mall Way at 7th Avenue SE

-Eastbound 112th Street SW at Evergreen Way

FUNDING CAMERAS:

NovoaGlobal will install all of the cameras, Hert said.

Each red-light traffic camera will cost the city around $4,000.

Meanwhile, the city has already paid $3,000 for each school zone camera.

The project was funded through taxes, however, the revenue generated from the fines going forward will pay for the cameras monthly service fee and new safety measures.

Hert said NovoaGlobal charges the city a flat monthly rate.

KIRO 7 News asked the City of Everett if it has a certain quota on citations to issue.

“There’s no quota. We’re not looking to issue as many citations as possible and generate as much revenue. We just want safe school zones. This is a safety program first and foremost,” Hert said.

RESIDENTS:

KIRO 7 News spoke with residents to learn more about the area and how the new changes could affect families.

Vickie, who often walks along West Casino Road, said there is “A lot of speeding. A lot. They’re (drivers) pretty loud when they come flying through here.”

“Sometimes I have to cross this road to catch the bus across the street. I wouldn’t want to be hit by one of those that come flying through here, so I hope this system helps and slows down some traffic,” she added.

Vickie said the new traffic cameras can help keep residents and students safe, especially since many people in the area do not drive.

“There are a lot of kids that walk from that school, and there are some that cross the road that have to get to that side too,” she shared.

Robert Clark, a resident, said he understands the purpose behind the cameras, but also shared some concerns around the new changes.

“If you’re new to the area, it’s kind of rough. You don’t look up at signs. You’re looking at traffic,” he said.

However, he also shared concerns around student safety due to the number of drivers speeding in the area.

Vickie told KIRO 7 News the traffic cameras could possibly help save lives.

“They (drivers) need to slow down. People’s lives are at risk. Children’s lives are at risk,” she said.

©2024 Cox Media Group