Red light cameras given the green light

Photo by jill russell

RED LIGHT CAMERAS AT THE INTERSECTION OF 20TH STREET EAST AND 54TH AVENUE EAST CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY OF FIFE’S PUBLIC SAFETY FUND REVENUE.

A recent court decision has had a favorable outcome for local cities issuing red light traffic tickets.

Seattle-based U.S. District Court Judge John C. Coughenour issued an order of dismissal on March 2, closing a lawsuit brought on by more than 40 drivers who claimed that fines from red-light and speed-zone cameras exceeded the amount intended by state law.

The plaintiffs argued that 18 Washington cities, including Fife, have been charging too much for violations caught on cameras. They claimed that state lawmakers expected tickets would not exceed the cost of an average parking ticket, about $20, when they voted to allow automated traffic cameras in 2005.

In his opinion, Judge Coughenour noted that camera violation fees could legally equal the price of a city’s most expensive parking ticket – for example, parking in a handicapped spot.

Court documents reveal that fines for fire lane parking and disabled parking violations in each city range from $175 to $250. The documents also reveal that most of the cities named in the lawsuit charge between $101 and $124 for camera fees. Fife charges $124.

“Plaintiffs offer no reason to conclude that these fines are outside the jurisdiction of the city, and therefore an impermissible ceiling on fine amounts,” Judge Coughenour wrote in the dismissal. “The court agrees that the Revised Code Of Washington grants municipalities flexibility in determining fine levels, and that the fines are not excessive.”

Fife City Manager Steve Worthington said he was a bit surprised by the ruling, but that the city is relieved to have the issue behind it. He said city officials understand that the red light cameras can be frustrating for some drivers and that there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the city’s use of them.

“The reason the city is in this program is to make the streets safer for the community,” Worthington said. “It has helped reduce the number of accidents and has allowed us to focus our patrol officer time on other issues facing the city.”

Fife Police Chief Brad Blackburn agrees that accidents have reduced, especially at intersections.

“We simply do not have the luxury to have a full-time traffic team,” Blackburn said. “Our officers mainly are responding to calls within the city. Routine traffic enforcement becomes a secondary priority and done as time allows.”

One thing concerning Blackburn is that his department is still struggling to fund additional patrol officer positions. The funds made from camera fees are not technically helping to put more patrol officers on the streets. The fees made from the cameras are self-sustaining and help cover the cost of operation, but not enough to hire an additional police officer, Worthington explained.

“Any extra revenue made from the ticket fees are used to pay for capital projects, aimed at making the city safer,” he said.

These projects could include adding more sidewalks for pedestrians along busy roads.

Blackburn says he supports the city’s policy on how these extra funds are spent.

“By utilizing these policies, it (the funds) goes back into the community where the citizens have a visible benefit while making the community as a whole safer,” Blackburn said.

The Fife City Council may look at adjusting the cost of red light camera tickets based on the type of violation, Worthington noted. One of the violations up for debate is a free right hand turn during a red light. Since installing the lights several years ago, Worthington said the city has received many complaints from drivers who have been ticketed for this offense.

“Drivers are being ticketed, because they fail to come to a complete stop before turning,” Worthington said. “If people don’t want to get a red light photo ticket, they need to follow the law and stop at the intersection.”

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