Speed enforcement cameras in Olympia? Here’s what leaders think about the idea
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Council directs staff to research speed cameras after multiple downtown pedestrian deaths
- Committee will study camera types, data controls and community comfort with surveillance
- Council members seek broader mitigation options and public input before policy decisions
The Olympia City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 6 to direct staff to research implementing speed enforcement cameras, in the wake of an increase in pedestrian fatalities downtown.
The topic of speed enforcement cameras will be added to the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee’s work plan. Council member Kelly Green made the referral, which was originally set to be considered Dec. 9.
“In addition to at least four pedestrian deaths this year (2 downtown this summer, one on Capitol Way this fall, and a recent one on Martin Way — there may be more), council members frequently get concerns from constituents about speeding in their neighborhoods, especially around schools,” Green told The Olympian last year.
During the Jan. 6 meeting, Green said the referral came up at a difficult time in terms of discussions about cameras and surveillance. The Police Chief recommended last month that the city suspend its use of Flock safety cameras to look into data privacy concerns raised by the community. Green said the referral comes down to her interest in pedestrian safety.
She said the council spends a lot of time talking about the walkability of the community, but at the same time, they’re hearing from constituents about an increase in speeding.
Green said not all the pedestrian deaths were speed related, but that speed cameras could be one tool to help tackle the issue.
She said Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders had posted recently about conducting a school zone traffic emphasis. In his post, he said in just 25 minutes, 15 vehicles were stopped for speeding in a single school zone.
Green said there should be a conversation around the community’s comfort level with having speed cameras installed around the city. She said she thinks there’s a big difference between Flock camera systems that capture every license plate and take photos, and speed cameras that only capture a license plate when an infraction is happening.
“I feel like there’s a distinction there, but I feel like it’s a conversation that needs to be had with our community of where those comfort levels are,” she said.
Green said the Washington Traffic Safety Commission already has a lot of controls in place and limitations for what can be done with speed cameras and the data they collect.
Council member Yến Huỳnh said the council has had too many people at public comment talking about what an issue speeding is in Olympia. She said the referral is a long time coming, and she’s supportive of the idea of installing the cameras.
Council member Clark Gilman said he’s skeptical about the specific mechanism of the speed enforcement cameras. He said they work by sending out traffic ticket-style citations instead of a moving citation that eventually leads to a person losing their license. He said there are folks out there who can afford to have stacks of traffic tickets.
Council member Paul Berendt said he strongly supports slowing traffic in every section of the city. He said over the past year, speeding has become the number one topic on the public’s mind over any other form of law enforcement.
“I would hear about it, and I am talking about 10 comments about speeding versus one of other forms of security,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to a robust conversation about all the options, just so we can make a really informed decision in the end.”
He said he’d be curious to find out what other forms of speeding mitigation the city can consider, and that it’s “absolutely a critical need to slow down traffic.”
Green told The Olympian on Jan. 7 that she’d love if the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee could get through studying and recommendations by the end of the year. But she said that depends on the committee’s overall work plan and staff capacity to do the work, and conduct the community engagement the project would need.
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