Auburn reports sharp drop in school‑zone speeding after cameras; council to consider code update and limited non‑school enforcement

Public Works staff told the Auburn City Council study session on June 23 that automated camera enforcement in school zones has produced large behavioral changes and that state law revisions now allow limited use of cameras outside school zones.

In 2024, Auburn’s automated school‑zone program issued roughly 23,000 citations after expanding to 12 cameras installed across eight school zones, Public Works Director Eric Young said. Staff said compliance in those monitored school zones fell from a baseline noncompliance of roughly 20% (before cameras) to under 2% by year‑end 2024.

Key figures and program operations Assistant Director and city engineer Jacob Sweeting and staff presenter Kaitlyn summarized the program history: the city studied 28 school speed zones in 2022, adopted a school‑zone photo enforcement program in early 2023 through an agreement with vendor Bear Mobility, adopted ordinance 6868 to modify Auburn City Code (ACC) 10.42, then deployed the first five cameras in May 2023 and a second set that brought the total to 12 in September 2023.

Staff reported 14,000 citations in 2023 (partial year of operation) and about 23,000 in 2024; remittance rates (percentage of citation revenue paid) rose from about 43% in 2023 to about 57% in 2024. Staff estimated 2024 citation revenue at approximately $2,630,000 and said program costs were about $880,000; about $1,410,000 was budgeted in 2025–26 for traffic programs supported by citation revenue. Recorded crashes in monitored school zones were low and declined slightly from 14 in 2023 to 13 in 2024; one location on 130th Street on Lee Hill dropped from nine crashes in 2023 to five in 2024.

State law changes and code update Staff summarized a March 2024 change in state law (House Bill 2384) that expanded where automated traffic safety cameras may be used and imposed new conditions. Notable limits in the law include a cap of one general‑speed camera per 10,000 residents (for Auburn, that would permit up to nine non‑school cameras under the statutory maximum) and a 25% revenue‑sharing requirement for net revenues after the fourth year for cameras enforcing outside school zones. Staff emphasized the law requires detailed analyses before non‑school cameras can be installed: evidence that speeding contributes to crash risk at a candidate location; equity analysis; consideration of alternatives such as physical traffic calming; and documentation that traditional enforcement or traffic calming is infeasible or ineffective.

Ordinance 6983 would update ACC 10.42 so city code matches the state statute: defining automatic traffic safety cameras, adding signage requirements, and setting an infraction amount for general‑speed camera violations at $145 (the RCW cap) while keeping the school‑zone citation amount at $200. Staff said the city’s 2025–26 budget includes funding to add three general‑speed camera locations for study and possible deployment.

Next steps Staff said they will return July 14 with the analysis of candidate locations for up to three general‑speed cameras and a draft resolution establishing the initial locations; the ordinance updating ACC 10.42 (ordinance 6983) and any resolution would be scheduled July 21 for council consideration. Staff cautioned the council that the state statute prescribes the analysis required before cameras may be used and that revenue‑sharing and program administration costs should inform placement.

Questions and clarifications from council Council members asked about beacon timing and enforcement windows; staff explained beacons are typically active a half hour before and after school start and release times (and for some schools during lunch release windows), and the vendor and police filter out citations issued when school is closed or a beacon should not have been active. Council members also raised equity concerns, diversion to parallel streets, and resource impacts on police officers tasked with reviewing camera‑generated citations; staff said those concerns are part of the new‑law analysis and that vendor contracts can allow limited relocation adjustments if needed.

Ending Council members praised reductions in speeding and indicated interest in reviewing the staff study for potential placement of three general‑speed cameras. Staff directed council to the July study‑session and July 21 ordinance/resolution schedule for formal consideration.