Bellevue City Council gives green light to traffic cameras

The Bellevue City Council cleared the way this week for a pilot program to catch drivers who run red lights and speed in school zones.

The program will allow installation of cameras at major intersections and in front of three elementary schools and is scheduled to start in four to six months, said police spokesman Greg Grannis.

The cameras will help police monitor traffic at schools and intersections where it's difficult for officers to stop drivers without interrupting traffic, Grannis said. Police are considering placing cameras at intersections on major streets including Northeast Eighth Street, Bel-Red Road and 148th Avenue Northeast. Cameras will be placed near Stevenson, Lake Hills and Sunset elementary schools.

The council allocated $588,000 in the current budget to get the program started, said city spokesman Tim Waters, but expects the program to pay for itself in the long run. The pilot program will run for at least a year with reviews every six months, and more cameras could be installed later.

"We're pretty confident it's going to produce results," Grannis said. "The emphasis is reducing collisions and increased safety."

Nicole Tsong: 206-464-2150 or ntsong@seattletimes.com