Two new speed cameras in Northeast Tacoma recorded nearly 400,000 speeding detections from Sept. 14 through Oct. 11, according to city data reported by The News Tribune. The cameras monitor Norpoint Way NE and SR-509/Marine View Drive, where the posted speed limit is 40 mph.
About 515,000 vehicles passed the cameras during that first month, meaning roughly 77% were recorded traveling over the limit. The count represents camera detections, not necessarily 400,000 different drivers; a vehicle could be recorded more than once.
The volume of detections led the city and its camera vendor to limit how many citations are sent. After the warning period ended Oct. 14, the vendor began issuing citations to a randomly selected group of up to 100 registered vehicle owners per camera each day. The selection is made among vehicles recorded above a speed threshold that city officials have not disclosed.
The data also recorded more than 180 instances of vehicles traveling at least 70 mph in the 40-mph zone. Citations are $145, and Tacoma Police traffic enforcement staff review the camera evidence before a ticket is issued. For the full report—including why the vendor set a cap and how Tacoma plans to handle the program going forward—read Austin Cope’s report for The News Tribune.
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