Red-light cameras may be installed in Mountlake Terrace

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Cameras to catch red-light violators could go up as early as next year.

Mountlake Terrace may join a growing number of cities around the region that hand out traffic tickets based on violations captured on camera.

Lynnwood police have sent out thousands of tickets and collected hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines to the registered owners of vehicles photographed running red lights. Everett has set aside money to install cameras.

The cameras are triggered by sensors in the road that can detect when a driver runs a red light or doesn’t stop completely to take a right-hand turn on a red light. The photographs and video of the violation are reviewed by a police officer and the $124 ticket is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.

A study is expected to begin in Mountlake Terrace in the coming days to determine if it makes sense to install cameras at intersections around the city. Seven locations have been selected as potential sites and a survey will be done at each intersection to decide if it’s feasible, Mountlake Terrace Police Chief Scott Smith said.

“They’re all on main thoroughfares, and it all depends on the survey. If out of seven it says we only need two, then we’ll only put up two,” he said.

It’s not about making money, Smith said. The idea is to improve safety and the traffic flow through the city, he said.

“There’s no question some cities have made a lot of money. That’s not our goal,” Smith said. “It’s really an issue of safety.”

Red-light violators run the risk of crashing with other cars and they also bog down traffic and clog intersections. That’s especially evident along the 220th Street SW corridor, where traffic is thick during the morning and evening commutes.

“It creates backup. People become angry and mad and it doesn’t move traffic along,” Smith said.

The city has a contract with Redflex Traffic Systems to conduct the study. They’ll install cameras at seven intersections for a short time to get an idea if red-light runners are a problem and whether it’s possible to put up cameras at those locations.

The cameras won’t cost the city anything, city manager John Caulfield said.

Redflex will be paid from the fines the city collects from the violators. They charge $4,800 per intersection. Anything above that amount goes to the city, Caulfield said.

“The city can only gain from this, but that’s not why we’re doing it,” he said. “We’re doing it to cut red-light violators.”

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

More in Local News

Mt. Baker visible from the summit of Mt. Dickerman on a late summer day in 2017. (Caleb Hutton / The Herald)
Hornets pester hikers on popular Mountain Loop trails

“You cannot out run the stings,” one hiker wrote in a trip report. The Forest Service has posted alerts at two trailheads.

A view of a 6 parcel, 4.4 acre piece of land in Edmonds, south of Edmonds-Woodway High School on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Housing authority seeks more property in Edmonds

The Housing Authority of Snohomish County doesn’t have specific plans for land near 80th Avenue West, if its offer is accepted.

Nursing Administration Supervisor Susan Williams points at a list of current COVID patients at Providence Regional Medical Center on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Dozens of Providence patients in medical limbo for months, even years

About 100 people are stuck in Everett hospital beds without an urgent medical reason. New laws aim for a solution.

Emergency responders surround an ultralight airplane that crashed Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, at the Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Washington, resulting in the pilot's death. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Pilot dead in ultralight plane crash at Arlington Municipal Airport

There were no other injuries or fatalities reported, a city spokesperson said.

Cash is used for a purchase at Molly Moon's Ice Cream in Edmonds, Washington on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
County Council delays vote on requiring businesses to take cash

Concerns over information and enforcement postponed the council’s scheduled vote on the ordinance Wednesday in Snohomish County.

A girl walks her dog along a path lined with dandelions at Willis D. Tucker Community Park on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Spraying in Willis Tucker Park resurfaces debate over herbicides

Park staff treated about 11,000 square feet with glyphosate and 2,4-D. When applied correctly, staff said they aren’t harmful.

One of Snohomish County PUD’s new smart readers is installed at a single family home Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, in Mill Creek, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
PUD program seeks to make energy grid smarter for 380K customers

The public utility’s ConnectUp program will update 380,000 electric meters and 23,000 water meters in the next few years.

An example of the Malicious Women Co. products (left) vs. the Malicious Mermaid's products (right). (U.S. District Court in Florida)
Judge: Cheeky candle copycat must pay Snohomish company over $800K

The owner of the Malicious Women Co. doesn’t expect to receive any money from the Malicious Mermaid, a Florida-based copycat.

A grave marker for Blaze the horse. (Photo provided)
After Darrington woman’s horse died, she didn’t know what to do

Sidney Montooth boarded her horse Blaze. When he died, she was “a wreck” — and at a loss as to what to do with his remains.

Most Read