Lake Stevens moves toward traffic‑safety camera rollout after council ordinance; staff to complete equity and crash analysis
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Summary
Council adopted an ordinance in July authorizing automated enforcement for speeding and red‑light violations in school, park and work zones; staff presented candidate school sites and an initial revenue model, and said a consultant‑led equity/crash analysis will guide exact locations and activation plans.
The City of Lake Stevens has begun implementing a traffic‑safety camera program after the council adopted an ordinance in July authorizing automated enforcement in school zones, hospital and park zones, work zones and high‑crash locations.
Staff told a budget retreat that they have collected telematics and vehicle‑speed data across school approaches and ran a preliminary prioritization. Early candidates for initial camera sites included Hillcrest Elementary, Mount Pilchuck Elementary and Skyline (Lake Stevens Middle/High school approaches), which show higher median speeds and high weekday trip volumes on the road segments measured.
City staff emphasized that the city will not activate cameras immediately. State rules and the council’s ordinance require an equity and crash analysis before sites are finalized. Staff said they will contract with a traffic consultant to run a formal equity review (distribution of enforcement effects across neighborhoods and populations) and a crash‑history analysis to confirm the highest‑risk locations. The consultant study will also refine speed and volume calculations and recommend exact camera placements.
Staff briefed council on projected program revenues under a scenario of three 24/7 camera sites; early, rough modeling showed gross citation amounts in the low millions in year 1 but also assumed the common observation that citations drop substantially once cameras are active and drivers change behavior. Staff said they will refine the revenue modeling with the consultant and that any revenue would be used for program operation, traffic safety improvements and, where permitted by law, enforcement costs.
Staff also noted operational steps ahead: a 30‑day advance public notice and signage at any activation site, police‑review procedures for images, and an internal schedule for pilot site activation once the analysis is complete.
Ending: The city will return to council with the consultant report, recommended sites and a proposed activation/implementation schedule and signage plan.