A file photo from June, 2025, of the southbound traffic camera system on North Albany Road.
The Albany City Council came close this week to approving flashing lights to warn drivers on North Albany Road of the school zone speed limit when school is in session.
The council may still approve flashing lights at an upcoming meeting. But on Wednesday, the idea was dropped after Councilwoman Carolyn McLeod said she would not vote on anything having to do with the speed cameras on North Albany Road. She was afraid of a potential conflict of interest because she was one of the hundreds of people who got a school zone ticket there.
This prompted Councilwoman Marilyn Smith to withdraw her motion to approve flashing lights. It takes four votes on the six-member council to take any action, and only four members were present. (Steph Newton and Chris Van Drimmelen were absent.)
On two days in April, nearly 200 drivers received school-zone speeding tickets in North Albany. At least some of them assumed it was not a school day because North Albany Elementary did not have classes. But nearby North Albany Middle did.
Since even before the speed cameras were installed, one issue has been how to identify school days, when the 20 mph school zone limit is in effect from 7 to 5. At other times the limit is 40. But the signage doesn’t tell drivers when school is in session.
One driver who was fined came forward and said he slowed to 20 but then sped up to 32 mph after seeing a reader board saying “no school.” The unfairness of tickets like that gave rise to the demand for flashing lights indicating when school is in session.
On Wednesday, Public Works Director Chis Bailey said the city staff was prepared to install flashing lights if the council ordered it. But she said it would take months for such beacons to be delivered. Also, they would cost $50,000, plus maintenance and operations, and the police department would get the bill.
One more wrinkle: According to ODOT ‘s Guide to School Area Safety, state law says flashing lights can be used as traffic control devices in school zones “only at times when children are scheduled to arrive or leave school.”
That would not cover much of the period when the cameras can result in tickets. For most of that 10-hour span, the beacons would not flash, the school zone would not be in effect, and the cameras would be idle except to catch lunatics driving 51 mph or beyond.
When that sinks in, the council may not vote for flashing lights if a member makes a motion to have them installed. (hh)
Thank you H.H for reporting this painfully irritating. Of course the light should only flash when the children are actually out on the street! That’s what typical places in Oregon do. But I’m sure Albany is going to make this into a keep Albany with speed traps kind of deal. It makes no sense why some schools are 20 mph when children are present and other schools are 20 miles an hour 7:00 to 5:00 and believe me those kids are not even there 7:00 to 5:00 that’d be a 10-hour day for school children.
Oh Gawd! Let’s not enforce school zone laws on the privileged citizenry who live in North Albany. Did I mention cry babies? Oh, I guess I’ll leave that reference out.
Why did the city choose this spot for a camera? I thought it was because of people violating the 40 mph speed limit, not because of the school zone. Give the camera one job and only set it for violations of the 40 mph speed limit. Then evaluate data from the camera about how people are actually driving through the school zone.to determine.
If you’ve seen the lines of cars in the morning and afternoon dropping and picking the kids up maybe the kids are not even present on NA road at all!
Many people outside of education don’t know this, but there are some students (even in high school) who suddenly get overwhelmed and without warning, run straight out the door and across streets. They don’t have the presence of mind to stop and look both ways, they just RUN. I have had it happen to me. Most kids aren’t in a lot of danger from cars going 40mph, but there are a few who are. Their lives are precious too.
It’s also entirely possible for a little kid to run off from recess and wind up lost–possibly crossing streets. It only takes a minute or two. Some kids are really adventurous and slippery! Once we get to know those kids, we watch them carefully, but if they are new or they haven’t had those behaviors before, there is some danger. It’s very rare, but it’s good to have a low speed limit as the last safety measure.
Perhaps lowering the speed limit on that section of N.Albany Rd. to 30 or 25 mph would help to slow drivers down before they got to the dreadful lighted intersection. Maybe a sign for “School Zone 7 to 5, M-F”, whether school is in session or not, if it saves someone from getting a ticket and adding funds to the coffer. Woah to the poor souls that would be inconvenienced by slowing down for a half mile. How did the councilwoman get a ticket when school season hadn’t even began yet? Maybe she was just disregarding the overall posted speed limit. Either way, there is no conflict of interest for her to vote on the safety of children. Just do it already!
Instead of stepping aside Councilwoman Carolyn McLeod should use her unjust experience to help her constituents. How is a law equally applied to the public be a “Conflict of interest”? Or does Councilwoman Carolyn McLeod have an interest in the revenue raised? What’s the conflict?
Unless it’s to a political advantage, this Mayor/Council doesn’t take kindly to other members disagreeing with them.
I took a minute to watch the meeting where the councilor said she would abstain from voting on stuff related to the speed camera. All she was trying to do was avoid any hint that she is serving herself rather than the city. I don’t think she was on council when the cameras were approved, but she did like the idea and she is on record saying she thinks flashing lights are a good idea. I bet everyone on council wants a flashing light at this point (they’d be crazy not to vote for it), so I’m not worried that it will be approved. Abstaining is not the same as opposing.
this whole situation is gigantic exercise in foolishness all way around.
*foolishness on part of the legislature that passed laws that create a situation that does not allow for any consistent or reasonable implementation about when warning lights ought to be working (for a school in session – how about the entire school day!) – who voted for these people?
*foolishness on the part of the city council that they clearly did not fully explore all of the requirements and ramifications of embarking on this quick money making opportunity to fleece residents and driver in some novel way – who voted for these people?
*foolishness under the guise of a supposed “conflict of interest” that is not – if you are the victim of an injustice just because you are an elected representative does not obviate you of the responsibility to solve the problem, councilor – who voted for this person?
*foolishness on the part of drivers who are so oblivious to the fact that schools exist on North Albany Road and have so for decades and 20MPH is the school zone limit everywhere else in the STATE and perhaps just be a little cautious and save yourself a $300 ticket for the price of an extra minute added to your commute – is this you?
eventually, most of us will either get bored with this whole story and stop feeling sorry for those who get tickets and simply say, “if you can’t afford the fine, don’t do the crime.” but this falls back onto the council and i do have to say – you are acting like residents are a piggy bank – and that will come back to bite you one day.
Agreed but you left an important one off.
*foolishness of the police chief and her advisors that foisted this upon one of your aforementioned foolishnesses.
Someone should cut that light down. Americans should not stand for any sort of surveillance even under the guise of safety for children.
By the way, if you never respond to a traffic camera ticket, it goes away. The system assumes it was a mistake. They can’t prove that. If you get any traffic ticket in the mail, write “refused for cause” on the envelope and send it back. Its basically impossible anything will come of it. We shouldn’t have even let a traffic camera get built, and now we are just accepting that they stole money from you? Who cares? No kid is walking there, and there wasn’t even kids in school during the notable days of 200 tickets.
Horrible reps as well, unwilling to act out of fear of getting unelected.
So anarchy rules eh? Gotcha… That always works. LOL
Apparently, if you’re an anti Trump protester, it does.
A couple of small flags have been added to the sign as a warning. Maybe the school could be responsible for putting them up on school days or even a sandwich board announcing it is a school day. This would help address the question of what is the speed limit today? Is it 40 or 20?
Stop wasting time, resources, and taxpayer money on these complainers and fancy lights. Just install a new sign, making the speed 20MPH 24/7. Problem solved.
The council woman addressed some of the concerns found in these comments on her Facebook page. She just wants to do the right thing for all of us.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1783HxufS7/
The city has wasted enough time and money on this intersection. $50,000 to purchase and install flashing lights, ongoing maintenance costs, months for them to be delivered, and who knows long to get them installed! Just lower the speed limit to 20 mph through that area and problem solved and our city councilors and city staff can concentrate on other matters.
For one thing city council members are grown adults right? How does getting a ticket going to change their opinion on kiddos safety? That is one of the city’s most damaging take on decision making and the main reason they make mistakes. There are always pros and cons to doing anything concerning public interests. Getting tickets is not the problem it is the symptom of a safety failure. If the city’s goal is to create revenue no flashing lights are needed to alert people a trap is waiting ahead, if safety was the goal flashing lights would be there in place of the cameras. Start listening to people who care about their community and kiddos not the money trail.
Isn’t it interesting how dumbfounded this Mayor/Council is when they actually have to make an intelligent decision for all of us to see? Whatever it is, maybe they can make it for perpetuity? They do have to show us what good tyrants they are.
April 18. Drove past Oak Grove Elementary at 20 mph. The reader board said “No School April 17-18.”
Ok. The problem is I believed the sign.
Drive to North Albany and get a ticket for doing 31 in a school zone.
$165
So 200 people got the same ticket? Do the math. They already have &33,000 towards their $54,000 flashing sign.
As a retired officer said to me. “It’s not about law enforcement, it’s about revenue.”
I want to obey the law. Slow speeds ensure we can stop quickly in case a child would dart into the street. I’m not questioning the law. I despise deception!