New School Zone Cameras Coming To Kirkland

KIRKLAND, WA — Hopefully you're already driving slowly through school zones. If not, you'll get at least a $136 nudge beginning on Sept. 3.

The city of Kirkland on Sept. 3 will begin a traffic camera pilot near Rose Hill Elementary and along 132nd Avenue Northeast between Kamiakin Middle School and John Muir Elementary. Drivers who exceed the 20 MPH speed limit near those schools will get a $136 ticket, and drivers who go above 30 MPH will get a $250 ticket.

Drivers will only get warnings for the first 30 days. But after that, you'll be on the hook for those fines. The cameras will be operating 30 minutes before and after school starts at each building.

"The two pilot locations were chosen based on information regarding traffic volumes, speed data and feedback from traffic enforcement officers. Based on the data, two schools were recommended as sites for automated traffic safety cameras — John Muir Elementary/Kamiakin Middle School and Rose Hill Elementary. These two locations had the highest traffic volumes and incidence of excessive speed," the city of Kirkland said in a press release.

The city of Kirkland has created a FAQ with more details, including about the cost of the cameras.