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Judge dismisses contested photo-enforcement ticket after visibility and signage challenge
Summary
A defendant who contested a photo-enforcement school-zone citation successfully argued sign visibility and MUTCD/RCW-based concerns; the court dismissed the ticket and encouraged the defendant to submit formal feedback to the city.
A Lake Forest Park Municipal Court judge dismissed a contested school-zone photo-enforcement ticket after a transportation engineer who was the defendant presented a visibility and compliance challenge on Jan. 21, 2025.
Why it matters: the dismissal highlights concerns about the placement and legibility of photo-enforcement signage where posted speeds change quickly and where automated cameras are in use. The defendant urged the city to revise signage to comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and cited state statutory guidance (RCW) as part of the challenge.
What was said and decided
Defendant Jing Zhang, who identified themself as a professional transportation engineer, showed the judge images and Google Street View to argue that the photo-enforcement and school-walk-zone signage on the westbound approach was not readily visible to drivers, particularly in dark conditions after a windstorm that caused power outages. Zhang cited MUTCD visibility and sign-spacing standards and told the court the configuration did not give drivers adequate advance notice.
After hearing Zhang’s technical explanation and viewing the video and images on the record, the judge dismissed the citation. The judge told Zhang the dismissal would be reflected in the court record and encouraged Zhang to send formal feedback to the city engineer and the police department’s photo-enforcement page. No mailed paperwork was issued to Zhang because the ticket was dismissed on the record.
Court and next steps
The judge reiterated that, regardless of the dismissal, Lake Forest Park’s school-walk-zone speed is 25 mph when the flasher is not active and 20 mph when the flasher is active. The judge advised Zhang and other drivers to review the city’s photo-enforcement web materials and encouraged Zhang to submit the technical observations to city staff for possible signage changes.
Ending
Zhang left the hearing with the ticket dismissed on the court record and an invitation from the judge to file formal feedback with the city regarding signage and camera placement.
