AN ORDINANCE establishing additional uses for automated traffic safety cameras to reduce traffic congestion and increase safety; amending Sections 11.31.090 and 11.50.570 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
Agenda Item five Capital 119897 Establishing additional use for automated traffic safety cameras to reduce traffic congestion and increase safety in many sections. 11.30 1.0 90. An 11.50 point 574 code and ratifying. And confirming. Such prior acts. Thank you, Madam Clerk. I moved to pass Council Bill 119897. Is there a second? Second? Thank you. It's been moved and seconded to pass the bill. Councilmember Peterson, you are listed as a prime sponsor of this legislation and are recognized in order to address this item. Thank you. Council President And I'm co-sponsoring this bill with Councilmember Herbold, and I know that other council members have worked hard on this to make this a reality, including Councilmember Strauss. So Hope and others will speak to this as well. But I'll summarize the bill for folks right now. This is the long awaited block, the box transportation legislation. And this, as you as you know, the transportation expert on our city council central staff, Calvin Chao, wrote an excellent memo explaining this council bill in detail. The bill authorizes the city to take advantage of a new state law, to expand our use of automated cameras, to enforce rules prohibiting vehicles from blocking crosswalks and bus lanes. I know we're eager to have these cameras installed to help traffic flow along the Spokane Street Swing Bridge following the closure of the West Seattle Highbridge. State Government authorized. This is a pilot project that requires reporting of the results along the way and unless it's extended, it would expire in June 2023. I imagine will seek to have an extended. Ideally, the results will show that this legislation helped us to prioritize pedestrian safety and the efficient flow of public mass transit. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember Peterson. Are there any additional comments? Remember her. Please. Thank you. I just want to speak specifically to the West Seattle related implications of this legislation, since the automated cameras will be used first on the Spokane Street lower bridge site has indicated that users and access to the Spokane Street Lower Bridge can be reconsidered after camera enforcement begins. And we get a sense of what the what the new traffic patterns are with with more robust enforcement on the restrictions. We know that general access is allowed on the lower bridge from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m., but at all other times general access is restricted to school busses, employer shuttles van pulls out essential workers access to for longshoremen and West Seattle businesses are the only vehicles that should be on the bridge at times other than 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.. And so it's really important that the general public observe these restrictions from 5 a.m. to to 9 p.m.. And again, by having more robust enforcement, we might be able to reassess whether or not we can allow more more sanctioned access to the lower level bridge at the at the time it's restricted from the from the general public. That could mean allowing more van pulls it could mean allowing more employer shuttles. It could mean allowing maybe essential workers who are not in a van pool. And it could mean looking at changes to the the times that the restrictions exist under state law. Only warning notices will will be allowed in 2020 and fines up to only $75 will be starting in 2021. Half of the funds that go to a state fund and the remaining funds may only be used for equitable access, transportation improvements and mobility for people with disabilities. I want to flag that the that the fiscal note for the bill. Identifies the need for additional officers in 2021 for the statutorily required review of tickets. There is a function that a sworn officer has to fulfill in reviewing the tickets before their issuance. And this is a statutory requirement in state law and in our ongoing efforts to to look at functions that uniformed officers are assigned. I want to just flag this as perhaps something that we should work with our state legislature on to allow either an employee or a non uniformed officer to fulfill this function. I want to also thank the 34th District Representative, Joe Fitzgibbons, a long, long champion of the state, legislation that allows the city to move on automated enforcement as it relates to transit lanes and blocking the box. Thank you. Thank you. Councilmember Herbold, are there any additional comments on the bill? Okay. Hearing no additional comments on the bill. Will the clerk please call the roll on the passage of the bill? Morales. As. MOSQUEDA Yes. Peterson Yes. So what? Yes. Strauss Yes. Herbold. Yes. Suarez. I. Lewis Yes. President Gonzalez. Yes. I'm in. Favor and and opposed. The bill passes and the chair will sign it. Will the clerk please affix my signature to the legislation? Item six Will the clerk please read item six into the record?