You’re going to want to watch out for Bellevue’s new speed cameras!
They look like electrical boxes, but if you speed past them, city officials say you will be getting a ticket.
Franz Loewenherz, the Bellevue Mobility Planning and Solutions Manager, tells us that during the 30-day trial period in August, 12,589 warnings were sent out to speeding drivers.
“The seven-day average of speeding events declined by 40 percent, roughly 2,800 to 1,700 events per day, Loewenherz said.
He said this is part of Bellevue’s effort toward Vision Zero, the city’s goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. City officials say speed remains one of the leading factors in severe crashes, and automated enforcement is a proven tool to reduce speeding and improve safety for everyone.
The cameras are set up in four locations known for excessive speeding near parks, hospitals, and school walk zones.
Those include:
- 148th Avenue NE, between NE 13th Place and NE 10th Place
- NE 8th Street, between 167th Avenue NE and 168th Place NE
- Forest Drive SE, between 138th Avenue SE and SE 60th Street
- Forest Drive SE, between SE 54th Place and Coal Creek Parkway
Loewenherz tells us the speed cameras catch license plate images and violation-specific data, which are then securely transmitted for review by a Bellevue Police Department officer.
They say these are not Flock cameras and do not use the same kind of technology.
“No personal, identifiable information is derived; the face of the driver is not recorded. This is simply looking at the vehicle’s license plate if the individual is going over the threshold,” Loewenherz said.
These cameras are the first four of seven in the initial rollout, with potentially dozens more to follow in the future
“We have evaluated 95 candidate locations and, from those screened, those locations that would be most impactful from a safety benefit standpoint,” Loewenherz said.
The cameras are expected to start issuing real citations in October.
That fine will be $124, unless in a school zone, then the fine is doubled.