The new cameras are designed to reduce travel time for buses and limit speeding at dangerous intersections.
New traffic enforcement cameras are coming to Seattle in September, reports Ryan Packer in The Urbanist, expanding a pilot program approved in 2020. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) announced three locations that will receive new cameras to ticket drivers who block a marked crosswalk or mid-street box. and enforce the dedicated transit lane on the West Seattle Bridge.
According to Packer, “The new cameras all target locations with long-standing complaints of low compliance with traffic laws and look poised to have a positive impact on mobility for transit riders and pedestrians alike.”
“These three additional cameras will bring the total number of cameras active under the state pilot program to 11, with one location (Fifth Avenue and Olive Way) acting as both a transit-lane and a block-the-box camera.” The pilot program that made the cameras possible was initially scheduled to expire this summer, but was extended to 2025.
Data obtained by The Urbanist after the pilot program began showed that “the cameras were having their intended effect of impacting future driver behavior, though the relatively small number of cameras in the city didn’t provide a huge sample size and more data may very well show more repeat offenders.”
FULL STORY: Seattle Plans Expansion of Block-the-Box and Transit Lane Cameras This Fall
Traffic Camera Revenues to Fund Capacity-Building Programs in Washington State
Revenue from Washington's traffic enforcement cameras will go in part toward efforts to assist small communities in applying for grants and accessing funding opportunities.
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Data Shows Chicago Speed Cameras Reduce Speeding, Crashes
Countering claims made by the Chicago Tribune that automated enforcement doesn’t improve safety, Streetsblog Chicago lays out the data showing how traffic safety fared in camera zones.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
In some states, as few as 9% of rural hospitals still deliver babies. As a result, rising pre-term births, no adequate pre-term care and "harrowing" close calls are a growing reality.
The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
Thanks to one simple policy change less than five years ago, 65% of new cars in this Himalayan country are now electric.
DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)