Starting Thursday, Oct. 1, Kent Police will send traffic citations to the owners of vehicles caught speeding through the photo-enforced school zones at Meridian and Millennium elementary schools.
The registered owners of the offending vehicles will receive a $124 ticket when the speed violation is 1 to 9 miles per hourover the 20 mph school zone speed limit. If the violation speed exceeds 10 mph or more, the penalty is $248. Police only issued warnings during the first month of the program.
“Drivers need to be vigilant of their speed in school zones because children can dart into traffic and surprise a motorist atany moment,” said Kent Police Chief Ken Thomas. “Police will use the speed cameras as an enforcement tool to establishand maintain a safe environment for kids walking to and from school.”
Indicating the size of the problem, 236 warning notices were issued between Sept. 1 – 24 at the two schools.
“The number of warnings issued demonstrates the daily threat children face from motorists speeding in school zones,”Thomas said. “The cameras are in place to keep kids safe. The 20 mph speed limit has not changed. To avoid a ticket,drivers simply need to slow down and obey the law.”
City officials in 2014 set up traffic cameras to catch speeders at Neely-O’Brien Elementary and Sunrise Elementary. A total of 12,578 tickets were filed with Kent Municipal Court during the first 19 months of the program from January 2014 through July 2015, according to court statistics.
The program has brought in more than $1 million to the city from the cameras at just two schools. Kent Police will spend $845,000 of school zone traffic camera funds on city jail renovations, police overtime costs, a use of force trainingsimulator and traffic safety equipment.
The cameras operate during school hours when the school zone beacons are flashing. Cameras capture images of licenseplates on those vehicles exceeding the school zone speed limit. Vehicle owners who receive a citation have access tophotographs of the violation and a 12-second video of the event. Violators may request a hearing to contest the citation ifthey wish to do so.
The city contracts with American Traffic Solutions, Inc. to administer its safety program. The Kent Police Departmentreviews and approves each violation prior to issuing a citation.
School zone speed safety cameras are at the following locations:
• Meridian Elementary
25621 140th Ave. SE (on SE 256th St.)
• Millennium Elementary
11919 SE 270th St. (on 124th Ave. SE)
• Neely-O’Brien Elementary
6300 S. 236th St.
• Sunrise Elementary
22300 132nd Ave. SE
For more information on the School Zone Speed Safety Camera Program, visit KentWA.gov/SpeedCameras.
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