Red lights cameras approved for Pioneer/Hill intersection

MOSES LAKE — A request to add four additional red light cameras to Moses Lake’s system failed in a city council vote Tuesday night. A second vote to add two cameras at a high traffic and collision area received the go ahead from the council.

The original request from Moses Lake Police Department Chief Kevin Fuhr to the council was to add four new Redflex red light cameras to the city’s system. Fuhr asked the council for authorization to place two cameras north and south on North Stratford Road at the Walmart and Winco private drive and two other cameras north and south on South Pioneer Way at East Hill Avenue.

The city first contracted with Redflex Systems back in 2006 and had two cameras installed at the North Stratford Road/West Valley Road intersection. Over the years three more cameras have been added to the system at the East Broadway Avenue/South Alder Street intersection and on South Pioneer Way between East Nelson Road and Sharon Avenue.

As it stands today, the revenue back to the city for Redflex-related fines is $500,000 and the expenditures back to Redflex are $300,000. Four more cameras would put expenditures at $540,000 and revenue from fines would go up to $900,000. The two intersections Fuhr requested cameras at are notorious for traffic light violations, as well as accidents.

“We have actually had 39 accidents at the intersection of Stratford/Mart (Winco/Walmart private drive) and 37 collisions at the intersection of Pioneer and Hill,” Fuhr told the council Tuesday night. “And with the one at Mart, two of those accidents involved pedestrians that were struck in the crosswalk as cars were turning right.”

A 12-hour video survey was done at each of the intersections by Redflex, which showed 73 violations at the Stratford Road/Walmart and Winco private drive location and 78 violations at the Pioneer/Hill intersection.

Fuhr noted that four studies from reputable sources have found traffic cameras at intersections can reduce traffic fatalities, because the risk of side and frontal impact is reduced. He stated the cameras can lead to an increase in rear-end collisions, due to people stopping at a yellow light and getting rear-ended.

City Manager John Williams said any additional costs associated with adding new cameras to the system would be paid by the system itself via citations that are issued. Council member Ryann Leonard said she is all for providing an extra measure of safety for citizens and she is in favor of the Pioneer/Hill cameras, but she has concerns about placing new cameras at the Stratford/Mart location.

“I think the lighting structure there is different enough, with the fact that the light turns red and then there is a green arrow, I would like to study that intersection a little bit more in depth,” she said. “Look at that intersection a little more. Look and see if we can calibrate those lights a little bit more and work maybe on that intersection now that it’s new and it’s a little bit busier than it used to be.”

Council member Don Myers said he is not in favor of adding any new cameras. He says he doesn’t see any positive changes that the cameras have brought to the city over the years.

“It’s in my opinion more of a revenue tool, because people just aren’t learning from it. I think it’s missed its intended purpose.”

A motion to place cameras at each of the requested locations failed in a 4-3 vote. Another motion to only place cameras at the Pioneer/Hill intersection passed in a 5-2 vote. A motion made by Leonard to have city staff gather additional data on the Stratford/Mart intersection and bring the information back to the council at a future meeting did not receive a second.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.