Published on September 18, 2019
Media Contact: Kellie Stickney Communications Program Manager kstickney@kirklandwa.gov (425) 979-6562
KIRKLAND, Wash. – The City of Kirkland will be extending the warning period for the school safety cameras pilot until Monday, October 14. The extended warning time will ensure that members of the community have a full 30-days of receiving warnings prior to tickets being issued. Though a 30-day warning period is not required by law, the City Council included this requirement for the pilot to ensure that the program was implemented in a way that was fair and provided adequate notice of the locations of enforcement. In the first two weeks of the pilot 2376 violations were recorded, with 1913 violations occurring in the John Muir/Kamiakin school zone and 463 occurring in the Rose Hill school zone. The top speed recorded in the school zone was 42 mph, and children were present at the time the infraction occurred. The City hopes that the extended warning will give drivers an opportunity to change their behavior prior to getting a citation. “Our goal is to slow drivers, not issue tickets. The quantity of infractions occurring in the warning period is concerning,” said Chief Cherie Harris. “We hope that the extended warning period will give drivers an opportunity to adjust their behavior and slow down in school zones. We all need to do our part to make it safe for children to bike and walk to school.” As of the morning of October 14, the fine for exceeding the school zone speed limit (20 mph) for speeds over 25 mph will be at $136 per incident. A graduated fine of $250 per incident will be issued for speeds over 30 mph. For more information please see the FAQ on the City website, http://bit.ly/SchoolZoneCameraFAQ, or contact Kellie Stickney at kstickney@kirklandwa.gov.
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