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Redmond police seek council backing for school‑zone automated speed cameras; equity report, ordinance and vendor contract planned for March
Summary
Redmond police on Jan. 28 said they will seek council approval to deploy automated speed‑safety cameras in school zones, subject to a required equity analysis and municipal code amendments.
Redmond police and staff updated the City Council on Jan. 28 about a proposed automated speed‑safety camera program focused initially on school zones, with scope to add parks later.
Police Chief Daryl Lowe and Deputy Chief Coates told the council the program will follow the state law provisions for automated traffic enforcement, including required signage at least 30 days before cameras issue tickets and a statutory requirement for an equity analysis of impacted areas. Lowe said the amended municipal code and the equity analysis will be presented, together with a vendor contract, to the council’s Public Safety Committee on March 18 and asked staff to place an ordinance to amend the municipal code on an April consent agenda.
Key operational details: Chief Lowe confirmed the program’s school‑zone enforcement will operate only when beacons are flashing; staff also said the program will account for school closures or schedule changes (for example weather cancellations) before issuing citations. The police described a common implementation practice in other jurisdictions of setting a trigger above posted speed (staff cited a typical trigger of six miles per hour over posted speed as the enforcement threshold but said the vendor’s analytic approach and NHTSA guidance inform recommended settings).
Legal and accountability steps: Under the RCW, an equity analysis is required and police staff and planning are preparing that document; Deputy Chief Coates said the analysis will specify where cameras would be placed and will fill in program details that the state statute does not define. Council members requested maps showing the precise school‑zone locations relative to the city’s high‑injury and high‑risk network maps before final approval.
Next steps: staff plan to present the amended ordinance, the equity analysis and a vendor contract at the March 18 Public Safety Committee meeting and aim for an April 1 committee consent and an April council consent agenda for adoption. Police staff said they will provide regular monitoring reports (at least twice a year, with capability to provide quarterly updates) on program metrics and efficacy if the council requests them.
