Thanks to Al for letting us know the red-light camera first announced for 35th/Thistle 13 months ago has finally arrived. That’s the wide view as crews were finishing installation work a short time ago – the actual closeup camera is toward the right side of that photo, which shows the west side of 35th, north of Thistle (map) – here’s the view we got walking right up to it:
It was January 2008 when the city announced West Seattle would get two red-light cameras in ’08 – per our original report, one watching southbound drivers at this intersection, another one watching drivers heading west on Avalon at 35th. *Added 12:06 pm* Installation on that one is under way too, on the north side of Avalon, east of 35th, by the 7-11 gas pumps:)
We asked SDOT, which installs the cameras, when they’d be working, and Marybeth Turner just replied:
We are not able to give you a date when they will be operational except that we expect it will be within weeks rather than months. When the work is completed, they will begin operating without further notice. We install the equipment, and the Police Department manages the program.
The SPD website has an info-page here which explains how the cameras work and what happens if you get a ticket issued after one of them “caught” you running the light. That page points to this one where tickets can be paid online – and you apparently even can watch video of your “violation” as it happened. ADDED 1:15 PM: SDOT also just sent word of one addition: They will install signs at the intersections “one to two weeks before the cameras begin to operate” to warn you the systems are there.
Meantime, while out on the street some call “I-35,” we also photographed the repainted lines that James tipped us to via Facebook:
As you may recall, sand and snow rubbed out the original lines, so the repainting work’s been expected for a while.
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