SDOT told the Select Budget Committee on Sept. 26 that the department is expanding automated traffic safety cameras in school zones and on high-speed corridors, but installation timelines depend on vendor engineering capacity and new power-supply requirements.

"At SDOT, we lead with safety for all travelers in Seattle," SDOT finance director Chris Castleman told the committee while outlining the camera expansion. SDOT said it has prioritized 37 traffic-safety cameras at 19 new school sites; cameras are already installed at 10 of those locations and Seattle City Light expects to energize them within weeks so they can be made operational within a day or two of energization.

SDOT also said staff are finalizing 10 locations for the first 20 full-time speed cameras (five previously committed locations plus five new locations in the proposed budget). The department described the remaining speed-camera installations as targeted to high-speed corridors and locations that historically showed serious injuries or racing behavior, as identified in the city's high-injury network.

SDOT attributed delays to the vendor's engineering capacity and new power requirements; staff told the committee those constraints meant the vendor may not have previously received as many concurrent requests. SDOT estimated engineering and installation could take between 12 and 18 months and said SPD and Seattle City Light actions are required for power and work authorizations.

To support implementation and state reporting requirements, the proposed 2026 budget includes funding for one full-time employee dedicated to program coordination. SDOT said the state law mandates an equity analysis and reporting, and the department will use the city's racial and social equity index to inform placement. SDOT staff also flagged the need for SPD and Seattle Municipal Court resources as camera operations come online.

Ending: SDOT committed to provide periodic updates to the committee and said it will coordinate with SPD and City Light to expedite installations where possible. No formal policy or funding decisions were made at the hearing.