BREMERTON – Not every street in an intersection with red light cameras is actually covered by a camera. From 2010-2012, 73 percent of all collisions at intersections with red light cameras occurred in the streets without cameras.
This week, Mayor Patty Lent released accident statistics from five intersections with red light cameras in response to criticism by Councilwoman Leslie Daugs, who claimed the cameras will soon cost the city money.
Lent said Daugs’ claims don’t account for the number of accidents prevented by the cameras.
The five intersections are: Kitsap Way and Marine Drive, 11th Street and Warren Avenue, Wheaton Way and Sylvan Way, 16th Street and Warren Avenue and 11th Street and Callow Avenue.
Combined total collisions:
2010: 53
2011: 64
2012: 38
Wheaton Way and Sylvan Way proved to be the most dangerous with 48 collisions during the three-year span.
While Kitsap Way and Marine Drive was the safest with just 15 collisions.
Holding steady at 10 collisions in each year was 11th Street and Callow Avenue.
However, the cameras don’t cover each street in an intersection, according to Lt. Pete Fisher, Bremerton Police. There is a stark difference in collisions in sections with cameras.
Combined total collisions with cameras:
2010: 14
2011: 14
2012: 14
Combined total collisions without cameras:
2010: 39
2011: 50
2012: 24
The most dramatic differences were at 11th Street and Warren Avenue and at Wheaton Way Sylvan Way.
About 80 percent of all collisions 11th Street and Warren Avenue and 77 percent at Wheaton Way and Sylvan Way happened in the streets without cameras.
“According to law enforcement, the cameras do provide a traffic-calming-safety-improvement at some of the busier intersections in town,” Daugs said. “But the privately owned cameras have evolved from being a revenue-generator, to soon being revenue-neutral, and it is anticipated it will actually cost the City money to run the program in the short-term.”
The city plans to continue investigating the effectiveness of the red light cameras.
