When Speeding Pays

Speeding is paying-off in the amount of $15 million for Seattle area schools thanks to speed-enforced cameras, a proven but nonetheless controversial traffic safety tool. Revenue will be used to make walking safer under a proposal by Mayor McGinn.

2 minute read

September 9, 2013, 11:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Seattle Times transportation reporter Mike Lindblom writes that the $14.8 million "would be spent to build safer passages for children walking to more than 20 schools".  Facilities would include pedestrian bulb-outs, amber warning lights and speed humps to slow vehicles. What's more, motorists should expect to see more of these cameras.

The Road Safety Initiative would increase four existing speed-enforcement cameras to a possible 15 cameras, where motorists who exceed 20 mph before and after school would be fined $189. About 30 percent of income goes to operate and install the cameras, and city staff to design and oversee walking-safety programs.

The cameras are proving to benefit the drivers as well, notwithstanding the $189 fine.  As Councilmember Nick Licata notes in Council Connection, "Ninety-six percent of all violators who have paid their tickets, have not gotten another violation. This is proof that these speed cameras are working to change driver behavior."

Unlike traditional "Safe Routes to School" projects that improve walkablility for schools, Seattle's Road Safety Initiative had a dual focus, exemplified by Dearborn Park Elementary School, writes Lindblom.  "New sidewalks were built on one side of South Orcas Street recently, and speed cameras are proposed next year."

The effectiveness of these cameras has not gone unnoticed elsewhere, particularly when it comes to school traffic.  Streetsblog Editor-in-Chief Ben Fried wrote last month that "(New York City) Mayor Bloomberg joined Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan and NYPD Chief of Transportation James Tuller outside a Crown Heights high school this morning to announce the impending launch of the city’s first automated speed enforcement program."  New York speeders will get a break in comparison to their Seattle counterparts - fines will only be $50. No mention of how the revenue will be spent.

Motorists have been know to fight these cameras as they suspect that city government may be using them mainly as revenue measures, as we noted last month in Ohio. The same problem manifests itself with the more common red-light cameras.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013 in The Seattle Times

Aerial view of snowy single-family homes in suburban Long Island, New York

New York Governor Advances Housing Plan Amid Stiff Suburban Opposition

Governor Kathy Hochul’s ambitious proposal to create more housing has once again run into a brick wall of opposition in New York’s enormous suburbs, especially on Long Island. This year, however, the wall may have some cracks.

March 20, 2023 - Mark H. McNulty

Yellow on black "Expect Delays" traffic sign

A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts

Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.

March 14, 2023 - Todd Litman

Empty parking garage at night with yellow lines marking spots and fluorescent lighting

Rethinking the Role of Parking in the American City

In cities big and small, the tide is turning against sprawling parking lots, car-centric development, and minimum parking mandates.

March 16, 2023 - The New York Times

Sidewalk

Mapping Sidewalks for Improved Connectivity

A new tool uses aerial image recognition to map a city’s sidewalks and crosswalks. Its developers hope it will aid in creating a more comprehensive understanding of pedestrian networks and where improvements are needed.

March 22 - MIT News

A light rail train waits at the Downtown Long Beach station with a sign that reads “Long Beach” to declare its route to riders.

Long Beach Residents Oppose Proposed Homeless Services Hub Near Rail Terminus

L.A. Metro’s “end-of-the-line” policy forces people experiencing homeless off transit every night at the same time and location. A proposed hub would provide services a few stops before the end of the line in Long Beach.

March 22 - Long Beach Post

A hypothetical map of the state of Idaho, expanded by annexing a large portion fo Oregon. The map is emblazoned with the words “Greater Idaho.”

The Nation's Most Advanced Secessionist Movement

Legislation supporting the Greater Idaho Movement, which would annex over half of neighboring Oregon, has advanced in the Idaho legislature.

March 22 - FOX News

Planner II

City of Greenville

Planner I

City of Greenville

Rural Projects Coordinator (RARE AmeriCorps Member)

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

HUD’s 2023 Innovative Housing Showcase

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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.