Lacey to keep its red-light cameras

LACEY – Cameras will continue to monitor a busy intersection for motorists who run red lights.

The City Council has voted to extend its contract with American Traffic Solutions of Scottsdale, Ariz., for three years after data reviewed by officials showed the cameras have reduced total collisions, injury collisions and the number of red-light violations.

Lacey is the first city in Thurston County to use red-light cameras. Two cameras monitor the intersection of Pacific Avenue and Sleater-Kinney Road.

The city had to provide written notice to the company to stop the monitoring under the contract. The contract will be extended for two additional three-year periods unless the city decides to terminate it.

Mayor Graeme Sackrison said Monday he imagined the council would have a discussion about whether to expand the program and, if so, where. The intersection of Martin Way and Marvin Road has been identified as one possibility.

In May, Lt. Chris Ward, the police official who oversees the red-light camera program, said the average number of monthly citations has dropped to 311 this year compared with 581 in the seven months of operation last year.

There has been one collision this year, compared to 18 last year, 21 in 2007, 16 in 2006 and 12 in 2005. There have been no injury collisions this year, compared to an average of four such collisions in each of the previous four years. The tallies only included reported collisions where a case number was issued and the details were entered into a city database. The city can’t say whether these collisions were caused by a motorist running a red light.

After paying the vendor, the city has collected $189,000 in fines since the program began, Ward said in May. It also must pay for officers to review the infractions and a city prosecutor to be in court for appeals.

The remaining money will go into a fund to pay for transportation safety projects.

Critics of red-light cameras characterize them as cash cows for local governments. Lacey is one of more than a dozen cities named in a pending lawsuit filed in June that challenges the fines levied for red-light violations caught on camera.

Christian Hill: 360-754-5427

chill@theolympian.com