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WSDOT readies work‑zone speed cameras and a short highway average‑speed pilot
Summary
The Washington State Department of Transportation told the House Transportation Committee that work‑zone speed cameras will begin phased field testing in early 2025 under RCW 46.63.200, and that a limited pilot will test average‑speed enforcement on two highway segments and report results to the Legislature.
Tony Langang, program administrator for Intelligent Transportation Systems at the Washington State Department of Transportation, updated the House Transportation Committee on Jan. 20 on two camera programs: a work‑zone speed camera rollout and a short highway average‑speed pilot.
Work‑zone program and statutory basis: Langang said the work‑zone speed camera authority springs from RCW 46.63.200 and subsequent legislative actions that assigned infraction levels and gave the Department of Licensing authority to suspend vehicle registrations for unpaid violations. He told the committee the cameras are intended to reduce dangerous speeds in active work and maintenance zones and that the first field unit will be deployed in Western Washington in February with a phased rollout to reach 6 units by mid‑year and up to 15 units in later years.
Pilot for highway average‑speed enforcement: The department described a limited, data‑gathering pilot authorized by a legislative proviso to test average‑speed technology (two cameras measuring speed across a segment and computing average speed). Langang said the department reduced more than 100 candidate locations to two test segments: one on I‑5 in Skagit County and one on I‑90 in Spokane County near the Idaho border. The pilot will not produce penalties during the test period; selected motorists may receive mailed warning letters and aggregate data will be reported to the Legislature. Langang said the pilot’s window runs through June 30, 2025.
Operational details: Langang said the work‑zone program will treat infractions as nonmoving, processed via mail similar to a speeding citation; legislation in 2024 set the first infraction at $0 and subsequent infractions at $248 and added registration‑suspension authority for unpaid violations. The department said it completed rule‑making hearings and vendors and websites will go live ahead of the planned February start for initial field testing.
Public outreach and privacy: WSDOT said public awareness campaigns and signage will precede enforcement; the pilot will not capture personally identifiable data beyond license‑plate registration checks required for mailing, and the pilot intends to emphasize public education and collection of behavioral data rather than immediate penalty issuance.
Next steps: Department officials indicated the program will begin with one work‑zone camera unit, expand to three units over the ensuing three months and to six by summer, and will publish pilot findings to the Legislature after the data‑collection window closes.
