William McCorkle, a city staff member, briefed the Monroe City Council on July 8 on a locational analysis required before the city may implement automated traffic safety cameras.

“The state requires us before we implement cameras into any location to complete a analysis of each location,” McCorkle said, summarizing legal and analytical steps that must precede installation.

McCorkle explained state law authorizes camera placement in school speed zones (within 300 feet of a school or playground border), school walk zones (within a one‑mile radius traveled by vulnerable users), public park zones (within 300 feet), hospital zones (within 300 feet) and roadway work zones. Separately, municipalities may install a limited number of cameras outside those zones: “The City is allotted a total of 2 speed cameras. I want to emphasize that this means 2 cameras. It does not mean 2 locations,” McCorkle said, noting that complex segments or multi‑direction monitoring can require multiple devices.

Staff reported they used TomTom traffic data, the city transportation plan and citizen CommCate reports to identify 12 potential locations. The TomTom data showed several corridors with high 85th/80th percentile speeds exceeding posted limits by 10–15+ mph (notably Tester Road and parts of SR 522), while collision mapping and citizen complaints highlighted Lewis Street, parts of Highway 2 and neighborhood corridors.

McCorkle outlined net‑revenue modeling and cautioned revenue will decline if cameras succeed in reducing infractions; after four years the state requires remittance of 25 percent of “excess” revenues. He also noted allowable uses for net revenue are limited to camera administration costs and specified traffic‑safety activities, and that the city must show investments benefit census tracts in the lowest income quartile.

Council members expressed general support for prioritizing school zones; several asked staff to include Park Place Middle, Frieland and Frank Wagner school zones in the next analysis. Council also asked staff to study 170th Avenue (a corridor repeatedly raised by residents), to examine safety near the Walmart/N. Kelsey area and to evaluate Highway 2 placement while noting that any cameras on state highways would require WSDOT agreement and likely extend the timeline.

McCorkle said staff will narrow candidate locations, complete the required equity analysis and, if council directs, begin drafting any necessary code amendments and requests to WSDOT for state highways. Council did not take a formal vote but provided direction to staff to proceed with focused analysis and return with a recommended list and financial implications.