Drivers will discover Kent’s school zone camera program spreading this fall to catch speeding violators at two additional schools.
Cameras and warning signs will go up starting Aug. 31 at Meridian and Millennium elementary schools. Cameras already exist at Neely-O’Brien and Sunrise elementary schools and brought in more than $1 million in fines to the city during the first year of operation.
Drivers caught by Meridian and Millennium will receive warnings in the mail between Aug. 31 and Sept. 25. Starting on Sept. 28, vehicles exceeding the speed limit of 20 mph will receive tickets mailed to the car’s registered owner. Drivers will be issued tickets starting Aug. 31 at Neely-O’Brien and Sunrise elementary.
“Our goal is to get drivers to observe the speed limit, especially in school zones,” Police Chief Ken Thomas said in a media release. “To improve safety for school kids and to avoid receiving an infraction, all a driver needs to do is abide by the 20 mph speed limit. It’s very straightforward.”
Cameras will operate on school days when the school zone beacons are flashing. Signs are in place to alert drivers that the school zone is a photo enforcement area. Cameras will capture images of the license plate of vehicles that exceed the school zone speed limit.
Police issue a $124 fine for a vehicle exceeding the 20 mph school speed limit by 1 to 9 mph and issue a $248 fine for speeds of 10 mph or faster above the speed limit. All warnings and citations are issued after review by Kent Police officers.
The Kent City Council in April approved the additional enforcement locations based on a traffic study that identified Meridian and Millennium school zones as having the highest number of vehicles exceeding the posted 20 mph speed limit.
The city contracts with Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions, Inc. to administer its camera program. Kent will pay the company $367,000 per year to cover the costs at the four schools.
Kent Police plan to spend $845,000 of the school zone traffic camera fund on city jail renovations, police overtime costs, a use of force training simulator and traffic safety equipment.
For more information about the camera zones, visit KentWA.gov/SpeedCameras.
School zone speed cameras
• Neely-O’Brien Elementary, 6300 S. 236th St.
• Sunrise Elementary, 22300 132nd Ave. SE
• Meridian Elementary, 25621 140th Ave. SE (on SE 256th St.)
• Millennium Elementary, 11919 SE 270th St. (on 124th Ave. SE)
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