Spokane7
53°
March 4, 2010 in City
Judge OKs Washington red light camera tickets
Associated Press
SEATTLE — A federal judge in Seattle dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Spokane and 17 other Washington cities charge too much for red light camera tickets.
More than 40 drivers brought the suit saying the tickets should have been equal to a parking ticket — about $20. The cities charge up to $124. Judge John C. Coughenour ruled Tuesday the fines are not excessive.
In addition to Spokane, the cities are Auburn, Bellevue, Bonney Lake, Bremerton, Burien, Federal Way, Fife, Issaquah, Lacey, Lake Forest Park, Lakewood, Lynnwood, Puyallup, Renton, SeaTac, Seattle and Tacoma.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Man dies following early Saturday accident 
Barcroft on March 04 at 9:05 a.m.
Traffic laws are revenue laws, and this guy just proved it.
There will never be enough money for those who believe that government is a growth industry.
Sheesh!
deacon46 on March 04 at 9:14 a.m.
People get killed by red light runers. $124 is too lenient. You conspiracy people are making yourselves look like fools.
vistadome on March 04 at 9:20 a.m.
this Spring when it’s nice out go sit on the corner of NW Blvd and Ash with a counter. North bound, on 90 percent of the light change at least 1-2 cars are running the red light…the light hit red as they hit the crosswalk against the red light…they kept right on sailing thru. Now the light recycles about every 1/1/2 minutes or so, I figure the city could make about 70 tickets per HOUR at that one intersection, or about $8,000.00 per hour at peak traffic times….ka ching, ka ching..all the way to the bank.
crikey on March 04 at 10:11 a.m.
The snivelers don’t understand that parked cars don’t cause accidents like those moving thru red lights. The fine is well-known, so If you’re brave enough to break the law, cowboy up and pay the price.
cowboy on March 04 at 10:25 a.m.
coming up to the light at Washington and Main last night turned red as i approached intersection i stopped the two cars in the lanes next to me ran it.
$124 is too lenient ticket should be $500 dollars or better.
When the light turns green i wait a second or two before proceeding.
jddavis on March 04 at 10:35 a.m.
Obey the traffic laws and it won’t be a problem. Why so much complaining about getting caught breaking the law? It would be awesome if the cameras could capture if the driver was on the phone too, and if so, the fine would double AND they would get an additional ticket for being on the phone.
liarsinnews on March 04 at 11:07 a.m.
I think the judges I know, would crawl through ground up glass to sit on the bench. The judge who ruled on the red light fines, may have figured if the fines were reduced he may have to take a cut in pay. Most Judges are no better than low life ambulance chasing attorneys. All one has to do is look at the child molesters serving 2 or 3 years are let out and continue to molest, and rape again. I would think these judges would feel guilty of handing out a slap on the wrist and would be ashamed of themselves. I guess not. You know the drill, one call that`s all.
rterrylynch on March 04 at 11:27 a.m.
Whining is not acceptable. If you run the light, you should be charged. No excuses. We have all had our moments of spacing timing. Terrible damage can occur with this human trait and if caught by the police person or a camera, it is not a concern.
Also, It is interesting to know how well your “loaned” vehicle is being driven… the ticket goes to the owner the vehicle so if you give your child your car to run an errand and they do bad things, you will know soon enough when the letter comes in the mail.
PlanB on March 04 at 12:09 p.m.
As I understand it, the law says the fine should be consistent with that of a parking ticket. Since when is the highest possible parking ticket the measure of average or normal? Does this guy own stock in the camera company?
You whiners refuse to believe facts. No one is happy with red light runners, but the cameras don’t improve safety and there is ample empirical data to support that.
All that is happening is that people are being penalized (taxed) for minor lapses of judgment, inconsistent traffic light timing, or other traffic that is beyond their control.
We should continue to look for ways to improve safety at intersections, but this isn’t it.
Verbal on March 04 at 1:34 p.m.
The camera at Ash & Wellesley is going to be like shooting fish in a barrell. The light only stays green for 10 seconds during rush hour. After you’ve sat through 3-4 cycles and you’re still waiting to get through the intersection, I can see how one’s patience gets tested.
That said, y’all must remember that most of the money comes from “rolling rights”, not people blowing through intersections. Not too many deaths result from the rolling right.
That said, rolling rights are technically illegal, but $125 punishment certainly does not fit the crime.
west on March 04 at 5:31 p.m.
Spokane is very well noted for their antique, low tech, stupid traffic light sequencing….way behind the times… pure hell with the timing!! City leaders don’t have a clue..and neither do the street traffic lighting boss….