Information from District 1 City Councilmember Lisa Herbold

For several years, as District 1 Councilmember, I have heard from West Seattle residents about dangerous car drag racing along Alki Avenue SW, Harbor Avenue SW, and West Marginal Way SW. The sounds of cars drag racing is regularly audible during evenings in Delridge, far up the hill from West Marginal Way.  

I’ve discussed drag racing regularly over the years with our SW Precinct Captains.  Drag racers move from place to place in the region, and don’t stay long, making it difficult for officers to safely enforce speeding laws.  Police high-speed chases of racing vehicles are regulated by SPD policy.

A 2022 change to state law allows for local government to designate an area as a “racing zone” for purposes of automated camera enforcement. I am sponsoring CB 120600, which designates Alki, Harbor Avenue, and West Marginal as racing zones eligible for automated camera enforcement to detect speeding violations.

The bill provides SDOT with the authority to install speed cameras.  The bill does not enact that authority and includes several important limitations to the future enactment of that authority.

There are equity concerns about traffic enforcement and the use of cameras; it’s important to address them, so the bill requires an equity analysis.

You may recall last fall that the Council authorized additional school zone cameras and requested a response for how SDOT would expand the school zone camera program, including a schedule of school zone camera deployment by location; documentation of the race and social justice analysis used to inform the new school zone camera deployments.  The budget action required SDOT to report how they might use the new state authority, as well as the costs/benefits and a proposed schedule for deployment.

To be consistent with the prior Council budget action, this bill states an equity analysis must be completed before installing cameras, as well as a response to this budget request by August 1. The legislation includes an expectation that these concerns will be addressed by SDOT in their work with the Transportation Equity Workgroup:

"the Council anticipates that SPD and SDOT will work with the Office of Civil Rights and SDOT’s Transportation Equity Workgroup in the development of camera enforcement implementation plans to address issues such as mitigating the disproportionate impacts of fines and focus on highest-risk behavior; creating an equitable citywide distribution of cameras; developing a policy to prioritize physical street safety improvements before implementing automated ticketing; and addressing privacy concerns by documenting, publicization and strengthening protections around the use of images and data collected by automated enforcement cameras."

The bill also reiterates the Council’s budget action:

SLI-SDOT-304-A-001-2023 specifically requests: (1) a detailed implementation plan for the doubling of the School Zone Camera that includes a schedule of school zone camera deployment by location, documentation of the race and social justice analysis used to inform the new school zone camera deployments, the anticipated budget adjustments to program administration and school safety programs based on the deployment schedule, and any anticipated legislation necessary to implement the camera deployment; and (2), an evaluation of the costs and benefits for expanding other automated traffic safety camera programs, including red light cameras, block-the-box/transit-lane enforcement cameras, speed zone cameras, and other traffic camera authority provided under state law, including a recommendation and proposed schedule for deployment of additional automated traffic safety cameras and programs;

There will be a first presentation at the June 20 Transportation and SPU Committee.

Here are the specific areas proposed to be designated as racing zones:

1. Alki Avenue SW between 63rd Ave SW and Harbor Avenue SW.
2. Harbor Avenue SW between Alki Avenue SW and SW Spokane St.
3. West Marginal Way SW between SW Spokane St and 2nd Ave SW.

It also includes areas in north Seattle. Councilmember Pedersen is a co-sponsor. A second briefing could take place in mid-July.