Olympia City Council member Kelly Green made a referral to the council to install speed safety cameras after an increase in pedestrian fatalities in the city.
Green’s referral was originally set to be considered during the council’s Dec. 9 meeting, but it was removed from the agenda and will be brought back at a later date. The city was unable to confirm when the council will consider the referral, but Green’s referral states it’s in the city’s best interest to conduct the research as early as possible.
According to the referral, Green and council members Jim Cooper and Robert Vanderpool will request that the Community Livability and Public Safety Committee go over research on speed safety cameras and consider if they’re worth implementing in Olympia in 2026.
“In addition to at least four pedestrian deaths this year (2 downtown this summer, one on Capitol Way this fall, and a recent one on Martin Way — there may be more), Council members frequently get concerns from constituents about speeding in their neighborhoods, especially around schools,” Green told The Olympian in an email Wednesday.
If found worthwhile, the committee would forward a recommendation to the City Council to implement the cameras.
Green wrote in her referral that “recent pedestrian fatalities, statewide traffic data, accident trends and resident feedback indicate that speeding on city streets is becoming an increasingly serious issue.”
She wrote that the cameras may help reduce speeding in some areas, especially in school zones. They would also serve as a reminder for folks to drive the speed limit.
“For communities that have implemented them, nearly 90% of people who get one ticket don’t get another,” Green said in her email. “So that’s my real motivation — if they work and help keep pedestrians safe, then I believe they are worth considering.”
She said she’s hoping the committee can answer a few questions: How bad is speeding in the city, and would speed enforcement cameras help? What would it cost the city, and how does the community feel about more cameras being installed?
The referral states that city staff have to keep privacy issues and Sanctuary City commitments in mind when conducting their research.
Susan Grisham, assistant to the City Manager, told The Olympian the research staff will conduct will include any community concerns and questions raised related to the city’s recent suspension of Flock cameras.
“Any future action the City Council takes in moving this discussion forward will be done in a thoughtful, transparent, and community-informed way,” she said.