News Features

Decision Made On Automated Speeding Ticket System

    Umatilla Assistant City Manager has given a blunt synopsis of a recent study regarding the installation of an automated ticketing system in city school zones. Addressing the Umatilla City Council during its regular meeting on June 2, Bolton summarized a study from the firm Altumint regarding the potential for the program.
   “There’s no money here.”
   In short, Umatilla drivers follow speed limits in school zones at a very high rate, with a two-day study last month conducted by Altumint finding only sporadic violations that meet the levels of ‘ticketability.’
   The system, growing in use around the state, automatically sends $100 tickets to owners of vehicles found to go over 10 miles per hour above posted speed limit signs inside school zones. While some locations around the state have netted thousands of dollars of recurring funds to cities, and Altumint, Umatilla appears to lack enough speeders to make it worth the company’s time.
   “It appears we have it under control,” Bolton said, applauding citizens and the Umatilla Police Department’s oversight of school zones as reasons Umatilla’s numbers were so low.
   The study tracked speeds in school zones around Umatilla High, Umatilla Middle, and Umatilla Elementary Schools, as well as on SR 19 in the area of Bulldog Lane. The latter was the most ripe for the system, with around 100 potential violations a day. However, Altumint has found that violations can decrease as much as 90% once the system is installed, leading to just a handful of potential citations should the system be implemented.
   Elsewhere, violations were much lower. A zone at Umatilla elementary estimated just 26 violations per day, and an Oak Avenue zone netted less than one violation per day.
   Bolton described city school zones as “not danger zones” during his presentation.
   “Our department has made it where they (the ticketing cameras) aren’t necessary.”
   The council accepted the report and agreed no further pursuit of the system would be undertaken.
   However, locals can still be impacted by the system, as it is currently in use in Eustis’ school zones.