Milwaukie council directs staff to budget traffic‑study after red‑light camera briefing
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Summary
After a staff presentation on red‑light and automated speed enforcement, Milwaukie council agreed to budget and pursue a targeted traffic study and ODOT engagement to evaluate cameras at high‑crash intersections, with staff concluding the program is primarily a safety initiative rather than a reliable revenue source.
Milwaukie city staff briefed the council on a potential red‑light and automated speed enforcement program and councilors gave direction to budget for a traffic study and to begin coordination with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Police staff, introduced in the presentation as the lead on the camera proposal, outlined program options — combined red‑light and “speed‑on‑green” cameras, and automated speed enforcement — and said implementation typically requires a 12–18 month rollout and ODOT approval for camera enforcement on state highways. The presenter said peer cities show safety benefits: "a 25% reduction in severe, T‑bone crashes," while acknowledging an uptick in less‑severe rear‑end collisions and the need to tune yellow‑light intervals and signage.
Staff presented vehicle and crash counts from ODOT and city records, pointing to two intersections (Highway 99 at Millport and Highway 224 locations) that had among the city's highest crash counts. Staff estimated an initial engineering/traffic study could cost roughly $20,000 per intersection (often $20k–$30k for complex sites) and noted vendor and contract models vary (fixed monthly fee, percentage of citations, or a mix). The presenter also said vendors typically verify and process alleged violations, and that court and program administration staffing would likely need to increase to handle citation volumes.
Councilors split on whether the program should proceed as a budget strategy. One staff speaker told the council, "our recommendation right now is this is not a sustainable revenue move," and framed the work as a safety program to be evaluated on those merits. Multiple councilors voiced concern that earlier budget expectations tied to camera revenue had shifted; one said the cameras should not be relied on to close the city's budget gap.
Despite those fiscal concerns, a majority of councilors urged moving forward with the next steps. Council direction recorded at the session asked staff to include funding for a traffic engineering study in the next budget process, to pursue data collection (including using mobile trailers/signage and existing tools where practical), and to begin ODOT engagement for approvals needed on state highways.
Next steps: staff will scope and price traffic studies for the candidate intersections, return to council with the findings and cost implications, and proceed with ODOT coordination. No ordinance or contract was adopted at the work session; council gave staff direction to study the program and report back.
