This camera will watch for speed and red-light violations by northbound drivers on North Albany Road.
It won’t be long now before photo-enforcement cameras will keep an eye on North Albany Road traffic at West Thornton Lake Drive.
Driving into town on Tuesday afternoon, I noticed a couple of installers for a contractor who were just finishing up. One told me they would be back on Wednesday. He expected the cameras to start operating on Friday.
Police Chief Marcia Harnden said earlier that once the cameras start operating and recording, there will be a one-month warning period before violators are cited.
There are two cameras at the intersection, at the driveway to North Albany Middle School. One camera points north and the other south.
In the school zone near the new cameras, the speed limit is 20 mph from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days. At other times it’s 40 mph. The cameras will watch for vehicles going at least 10 mph above the posted limit as well as for any that go through a red light.
The police have said the cameras will be synchronized with the school calendar.
This is one of four intersections where the Albany City Council authorized traffic cameras in December 2023.
The first was Queen Avenue and Geary Street, where new cameras started speed and red-light enforcement in November 2024.
The third and fourth intersections to get cameras, probably later this year, are Queen Avenue and Elm Street, also a school zone, and Geary Street and Santiam Road.
The company operating the cameras, Arizona-based Verra Mobility, will get paid $3,000 a month per intersection plus $20 per paid citation. City officials expect that ticket revenue will more than cover the expense. (hh)
This camera (the black thing on the signal mast) will monitor southbound traffic on North Albany Road.
They should just put in 20 mile an hour when lights are flashing lights instead of this 20 mph from 7:00 to 5:00 That’s a little ridiculous I think all of Albany should be on the flashing light system like most towns. I’ll say it once again, this is a scam on our citizens.
Agreed. Lebanon has them.
Yes! Why is it so hard to use the flashing light system? Would love to see it used by the school on Springhill too.
So will there be signs warning drivers that intersections are watched by cameras like you see radar warning signs on some roads? If not, then it’s really just for revenue, not safety.
There are small signs on the two approaches to the intersection of Queen and Geary. If you are watching where you are driving you may well miss them. Best to just know where these cameras are. Myself, it seems like nine times out of ten I simply get stopped at the light anyway…
Live in area and see these go in yesterday also saw Hasso on his bike! I wonder if residents who dont like these cameras will vandalize them wasting money and resources due to anger over picture taking and cost. These cost a lot of money to City. If cost of ticket is $225 for presumed violator it will need to issue about 15 tickets per intersection per month. So that is quota for city break even.
The Police Chief’s 1-month moratorium on issuing tickets seems absurd. If scofflaws are violating the law now, why give them 30-free days to continue to put Albany citizens at risk through reckless driving. Drop the Moratorium. Issue tickets NOW. Why lose an entire month of revenue?
Worried about vandalism of fences and graffitti at the Periwinkle Creek Bikepath?
Google “speed cameras vandalism.” It’s a worldwide experience.
Will speed cameras in Albany surpass the Bikepath and become (as Hasso puts it) “ground zero of Albany vandalism”?
One can only hope…
Just take Quarry to Springhill to avoid them. I’m sure the people living on Quarry will love it.
Excited to see these in. Person ran a red on 99/Queen yesterday as I was biking.
Sad that it is ok to a speed or run a light to save a few minutes.
If there wasn’t a problem, then they wouldn’t go in. Hopefully the police are wrong and Albany drivers are so good, the cameras don’t pay for themselves
This is great to hear! I am hoping they put more around town. I am so tired of drivers running red lights and speeding and putting others in danger.
I do wish they would use the flashing light signs in the school areas. I dont understand why they havent, it works so much better.
I just think it’s silly that we have to drive 20 mph for TEN HOURS a day on school days! The flashing lights for a couple hours in the morning and afternoon make so much sense.
It’s not about safety, it never has been! It’s about the revenue these cameras generate for the City.
I remember before they put the first red
light camera on Queen and Geary, City Councilors were asking for input about where these lights should be placed. I suggested 9th and Queen as so many folks ran that red light and it was dangerous! He told me that couldn’t happen as the city would have to split the revenue with the State and the Ciry wasn’t willing to do that. That’s when it became crystal clear to me… this isn’t
about safety!
9th & Queen are parallel streets. I presume you mean 9th & Hill?
Must be the reason City won’t put them on 2nd & 3rd Downtown. One to two cars run that light each time, all day long
We are happy that they have installed these. If people would follow the rules of the road, they wouldn’t be necessary. I wonder if they could do a study to show the impact that these cameras have made (fewer accidents, etc). And please don’t use Springhill to avoid them, we have our own problems.
So the tax payers are going to be paying the salary of a sworn officer to sit and watch pictures? I hope the next time you need an officer you aren’t told that “we are short handed” and can’t send anyone!
Sounds like another money grab to me. Hopefully nobody breaks your new toys.
If you have Waze navigation on your car or phone. It will show cameras.
How much is the net average monthly revenue generated at Gerry and Queen intersection?
This is an excellent question. How are the other red light camera’s performing. By “performing” I mean how much revenue is being generated? Surely enough to pay the $3000 a month fee? How many tickets, what type and what is the average fine? Or do we need to file a FOI?
No, all you have to do is wait a bit. I have the information and will do another story as soon as I get answers to a couple of questions.
Thanks Hasso!