LYNNWOOD — Turns out a lot of drivers run red lights in Lynnwood.
The city earlier this year installed cameras at busy intersections to catch drivers running red lights. The cameras are part of a year-long pilot program to see whether handing out $124 tickets will reduce collisions at intersections and help with traffic congestion.
The cameras are triggered by sensors in the pavement that are set off as vehicles move through the intersection. Drivers who don’t fully stop before turning right at a red light also are photographed.
A group of a dozen Lynnwood police officers take turns reviewing video footage. Close calls are rejected. Citations are sent to the registered owner of the vehicle caught on camera.
Here’s a quick look at how things are working so far:
n Cameras were installed at the intersections of 196th Street SW and Highway 99; 196th Street SW and 36th Avenue W.; Alderwood Mall Boulevard and 200th Street SW; and 176th Street SW and Highway 99. A fifth camera came online in September at the intersection of 196th Street SW and 44th Avenue W.
n More people run red lights at the intersection of 196th Street and 36th Avenue W. It’s unclear why that intersection is problematic, but it appears that a number of violators fail to stop behind the white line before taking a free right-hand turn, Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said.
“It’s really a bad habit,” she said. “Most pedestrians are hit in crosswalks because people don’t make full stops.”
n Police have mailed 7,506 citations as of Tuesday and $308,455 in fines have been collected as of Oct. 3.
n It takes approximately two weeks to receive a ticket after running a red light. People who are cited are directed to a Web site where they can watch a video of the violation. People who don’t have access to a computer can use one set up at the Lynnwood Police Department.
n About 300 people have had hearings to contest or mitigate their tickets. Another 600 hearings are pending, said Jill O’Cain, a Lynnwood Municipal Court administrator. Most people who request a hearing have been ticketed for turning right on a red light, O’Cain said.
Police believe the cameras are changing the habits of some people.
“I think the people who drive all over the city on a regular basis are getting it,” Sessions said. “A lot them have gotten tickets. Some have gotten more than one.”
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