Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New school safety cameras target speeding drivers on the South Hill

New traffic enforcement cameras in three South Hill school zones will send automatic warning tickets to speeding drivers through the month of October.

But after Oct. 31, those tickets won’t be warnings. They’ll be fines between $217 and $450 dollars.

The new cameras went online Monday near Ferris High School and Adams Elementary School on Regal and Ray streets, as well as near Roosevelt Elementary School on Bernard Street, the Spokane Police Department said in a news release. The cameras operate during school hours when the school zone beacons are flashing.

Drivers who exceed the posted 20 mph speed limit in a school zone will receive a ticket in the mail at the vehicle’s registered address, Spokane police Sgt. Teresa Fuller said.

The Spokane Police Department suggested to the Spokane City Council in 2014 that speed enforcement cameras be installed in school zones. The council agreed to a trial camera program, and authorized enforcement with fines in 2015.

Five other cameras already operate in north Spokane and enforce speed limits near four schools: Lidgerwood Elementary, Ridgeview Elementary, Audubon Elementary and Willard Elementary.

Those cameras issued more than 11,000 tickets in 2022 so far, according to the Spokane Police Department’s data.

The tickets won’t be reflected in driver’s insurance or on driving records, Fuller said. “They are essentially expensive parking tickets.”

The tickets can take up to three weeks to arrive.