Bellevue red-light cameras on 148th Ave will only carry warnings till Feb. 2

The city of Bellevue ushered in the new decade with a futuristic approach to traffic enforcement on Monday, installing red-light cameras at two intersections along 148th Ave. NE. The devices capture still images and video of vehicles that run red lights at Main Street and Bel-Red Road along 148th Ave. They monitor southbound and northbound traffic at the Bel-Red intersection, as well as southbound traffic at the Main Street intersection.

January 4, 2010 8:36 pm
A new red light traffic camera installed at the intersection of 148th Avenue NE and Bel-Red Road in Bellevue on Monday.
A new red light traffic camera installed at the intersection of 148th Avenue NE and Bel-Red Road in Bellevue on Monday.

The city of Bellevue ushered in the new decade with a futuristic approach to traffic enforcement on Monday, installing red-light cameras at two intersections along 148th Ave. NE.

The devices capture still images and video of vehicles that run red lights at Main Street and Bel-Red Road along 148th Ave. They monitor southbound and northbound traffic at the Bel-Red intersection, as well as southbound traffic at the Main Street intersection.

Vehicle owners will receive infraction notices by mail within 14 days of any violation. Tickets can be contested with a sworn statement to the court.

Police will issue warnings until Feb. 2. After that, each infraction will be the equivalent of a parking ticket, costing $124, but not counting as a moving violation.

“It’s about safety,” said Bellevue Police spokeswoman Carla Iafrate. “We’re trying to modify driving behavior in areas where we’ve seen red-light running more often.

“Decreasing red-light running saves lives.”

The Bellevue City Council approved the new traffic-enforcement program in April, allowing the use of speed-zone and red-light cameras on a trial basis in selected areas of the city.

Then came a class-action lawsuit alleging that the program is unconstitutional and violates state law regarding the use of traffic-safety cameras.

The defendants in that case, which include 22 cities and two camera manufacturers, have moved for dismissal of the complaint for failure to state a claim. U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour is expected to hear arguments Jan. 15.

Bellevue launched its program in September, installing cameras at the Stevenson Elementary and Lake Hills Elementary school zones.

The cameras there monitor westbound traffic along NE Eighth St., 143rd Ave. NE, SE Eight St. and 143rd Pl. SE during school start and release times. Signs with flashing lights alert drivers during reduced-speed hours.

Bellevue Police issue 1,088 citations for the designated school zones in October with help from the cameras. The number of violations dropped to 902 in November and 732 in December.

Iafrate said it is too early to determine whether the decreases are due to awareness about the enforcement program or reduced school hours during the holiday season. She said the city will need to gather data for at least a year before drawing conclusions.