City will soon activate traffic cameras east of Chief Garry Park due to severity of crashes

The city of Spokane will soon activate red -light traffic safety cameras at a busy intersection near Chief Garry Park to reduce crashes, it announced in a news release Friday.

The selected intersection is east of the park at East Mission Avenue and North Greene Street. According to the release, that intersection has seen 18 crashes since 2023 and is among the busiest in the city. Putting red -light cameras at intersections has shown a reduction in collisions and high speeds, Spokane Police Lt. Benjamin Maplethorpe said.

A 30-day grace period will begin on Nov. 24 where those found running red lights will receive warnings. Any day after that, violators will face a $145 infraction.

“Over the past few years, Spokane has experienced an unacceptable increase in traffic collisions. Any injury or death on our road is one too many,” Transportation and Sustainability Director Jon Snyder said in the release. “These cameras are a great tool to remind drivers to slow down and ultimately reduce crashes.”

The traffic cameras for that intersection were initially proposed in February, according to previous reporting from The Spokesman-Review. Generally, those cameras also make a significant amount of money for the city. They generated over $1.9 million in just the first six months of 2024, previous reporting states.

Data from the Spokane Police Department shared with The Spokesman-Review also shows pedestrian crashes this year have slightly risen. From Sept. 1 to Nov. 15 of last year, the city saw 42 crashes involving a pedestrian that resulted in 35 injuries. During the same period this year, the city saw 46 pedestrian crashes with 41 injuries, which also included three deaths.

More safety cameras will be placed near Shaw Middle School, Shadle Park High School and at the intersection of North Division Street and East Magnesium Road.