The Bellevue City Council is set to consider expanding the city’s speed safety camera program, as part of an ongoing effort to reduce serious and fatal traffic crashes.
The City Council will look at how to move forward with adding more speed cameras, which is now allowed under a new state law. Under changes to RCW 46.63.250, cities like Bellevue are allowed to install speed cameras in more locations—including near parks, hospitals, school walk zones, and areas with a history of collisions.
Currently, Bellevue has speed cameras in place at three school zones and red-light cameras at four major intersections. The program has been in effect since 2009 and is part of the city’s wider Vision Zero plan, which aims to eliminate severe crashes by the year 2030.
Transportation officials say that speeding remains one of the top causes of serious and deadly crashes in Bellevue. According to Transportation Director Andrew Singelakis, expanding the use of cameras is one way the city hopes to make streets safer.
“Crash data and community feedback consistently point to speeding as a serious concern,” Singelakis said. “We know that speed directly affects the severity of injuries when crashes happen.”
The city is currently developing a Speed Safety Camera Program Operations Guide, which will help determine how and where cameras should be placed. The guide is being created with support from a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant and will be informed by crash data, community input, and national best practices. It will outline criteria for camera placement, fine structures, and long-term management of the program.
Several safeguards are built into the new state law, including:
- Cameras cannot take photos of drivers or passengers.
- Fine reductions are available for qualifying low-income drivers.
- All revenue generated must be spent on traffic safety projects.
- An equity review is required to ensure fair distribution of camera locations and investments in underserved communities.
Once the operations guide is complete, city staff will identify potential new camera sites. A final list of recommended locations will be presented to the City Council by the end of 2025, with installations likely to begin in 2026.
