Seen on 16th SW: No, it’s NOT a school-zone speed-cam preview

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If you’ve noticed that sign on 16th SW near SW Myrtle – as did Alan, who sent us the photo – no, it’s NOT foreshadowing a future school-zone speed camera. Not a fixed installation, anyway. We checked with SDOT, whose spokesperson Sue Romero replied, “The 7000 block of 16th Ave SW is a pre-existing site for SPD to use mobile photo enforcement cameras to enforce the school zone speed limit. While there are no plans for near-term enforcement work, as a pre-existing site it needs proper signage for any future speed enforcement by SPD. The original sign is missing and this new sign is merely a replacement.” As far as we can tell from consulting both Google Street View and memory, the previous sign did not mention photo enforcement. The “mobile” version of that, by the way, was inaugurated in 2008 in West Seattle near Gatewood Elementary – where there are now fixed cameras (the other fixed cameras in WS are on Roxbury by Roxhill Elementary and Holy Family School, and on Delridge by Louisa Boren STEM K-8). The speed van also works on 35th SW near Our Lady of Guadalupe, where you’ve probably noticed signs similar to this one, though there’s no permanent camera installation.

3 Replies to "Seen on 16th SW: No, it's NOT a school-zone speed-cam preview"

  • Alan June 29, 2016 (3:11 pm)

    Thanks for checking. From recollection, as well as looking through the streetviews, there was never such a sign there before. I don’t recall what was there before the flashing lights were put in, but there has not been any additional signage other than the ones with the flashing lights at SW Orchard St.  I’m not complaining, but it is puzzling. I wish there were cameras going in.

  • TheKing June 29, 2016 (7:20 pm)

    So glad there are no more cameras going in. The gov’t can watch you with drones, through your phones, laptops, traffic lights, smart meters on your home, at the airport, your car, your wifi and through the new coming smart appliances. NSA, FBI,CIA  and the dozens of other acronyms have gone too far. They all have invasive ways to make you think they are protecting you. Not a conspiracy theorist, just tired of this. 

  • john June 30, 2016 (9:08 am)

    Add the section marked for and ticketed by speed van, the section of 35th going north from the entrance to Camp Long.

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