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
New York To Crack Down on Bus Lane Blocking Violations
The city hopes to improve the speed of its notoriously slow buses by using traffic cameras to ticket drivers who drive or park in dedicated bus lanes.
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.
Editorial Calls for Automated Enforcement for Bus Lanes
The Seattle Times Editorial Board argues that automated enforcement would remove scofflaws from blocking bus commuters.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
DC Area County Eliminates Bus Fares
Montgomery County joins a growing trend of making transit free.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)