An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.
After installing traffic cameras aimed at catching drivers illegally entering transit-only lanes at five intersections, the city of Seattle issued 84,076 warnings and 26,092 tickets for bus lane violations between March and December 2022.
According to an article by Melissa Santos in Axios, “That amounted to about $825,000 in revenue, a small part of which goes toward the cost of running the cameras. Half of the remaining revenue goes to a state fund dedicated to bike and pedestrian improvements.”
Santos adds that “The city also started using cameras last year to catch people illegally blocking crosswalks and intersections, sometimes called ‘blocking the box.’” These cameras only issued 58 citations over roughly eight months.
The state legislature will decide in January 2025 whether to allow the city to continue using automated enforcement, which supporters say can improve road safety and help reduce violent interactions between citizens and law enforcement.
FULL STORY: Cameras caught drivers illegally using bus lanes 110,000 times
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