Council committee approves updated automated traffic camera ordinance and lifts budget proviso for non‑school cameras

Seattle’s Transportation Committee on May 6 recommended that the City Council pass an ordinance aligning Seattle Municipal Code with 2024 state changes to automated traffic safety cameras and approved measures to govern how camera revenue and data are handled. The committee also voted to lift a budget proviso so Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) can spend previously authorized funds to plan non‑school speed camera deployment.

The committee chair, Rob Saka, opened the meeting by framing automated traffic safety cameras as “a crucial tool” for reducing unlawful driving behavior and said the ordinance would bring local code into conformity with state law. Central staff described the bill as mainly aligning municipal code with the state changes and updating financial policy language; the Seattle Police Department’s traffic section said it is expanding staff capacity to review camera detections.

The nut of the ordinance is technical alignment with state law and policy direction about how revenue and enforcement will be handled. The committee debated six amendments that narrowed or clarified how camera revenues can be spent, required documentation before deploying cameras at non‑school locations, standardized warning periods, and added privacy and reporting protections for camera data. Several members of the public and transportation advocacy groups urged stronger links between ticket revenue and safety investments.

During public comment, speakers asked the council to prioritize…