A passenger’s view: Heading toward the traffic cameras on North Albany Road Thursday afternoon, March 19, 2026.
It was six months ago that the Albany City Council voted 6-0 that flashing lights be installed in the school speed zone on North Albany Road. Drivers are still waiting for the lights.
The lights are supposed to flash only around the times that school starts and lets out, indicating that the 20-mph speed zone is in effect.
Now the 20-mph limit applies from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on school days. But there has been confusion about just what’s a school day, especially when one of the two schools on the road has classes while the other advertises on its reader board that there’s no school.
The enforcement cameras at West Thornton Lake Drive generate about 300 tickets a month, for going faster than 30 miles an hour. When it’s not a school day, the speed limit is 40 mph.
As for the flashing lights, the city invited bids on Dec. 1 and opened four on Dec. 16. North Star Electrical Construction, of Sherwood, submitted the low bid of $42,900.
The contract posted online said that once the city issues a notice to proceed, construction should be completed in 30 days, and in any case no later than April 3, 2026.
But it’s not as simple as that. When I checked last month and again this week, I learned that the city was still reviewing things submitted by the contractor, such as diagrams and software of electrical equipment to make sure they meet specifications.
“There has been no change since the last update,” City Engineer Staci Belcastro told me by email, “but hoping we can get through the submittal review process soon. I think there are just a few changes that need to be made.”
The installation of flashing lights in a school zone evidently is more complicated than it sounds. (hh)
Many things annoy me about this cash machine the city installed but I’m confused by your lead picture.
Zooming in, I see you have a green light.
And a red truck and trailer directly in the way.
Surely this is picture and associated fine worthy.
Less complicated is to just slow down period and costs less money. I saw vehicle drive through intersection yesterday while students walking to school and picture was taken of oblivious driver. try to fix stupid always fools errand
I, for one, have NOT been waiting for those lights.
Hasso, another candidate for a flashing light is the school facility located on Springhill Drive. This facility appears to not have any children in attendance. I contacted the Albany Public Schools office and inquired about this facility and was told that there are no students present at this time; however the school district wants to keep the designation in case they have a “runner” there. So at this time we have a school zone speed limit of 20 mile per hour 7AM to 5PM for a facility that has no students.
A flashing light to notify drivers will result in less citations. That’s why the council is dragging its feet.
The city will absolutely take their time on installing those lights. It’s their biggest money making camera. It’s not for safety or the lights would have already been installed in the first place and stayed installed. This is all about money and nobody can tell me otherwise. Because if it was for safety I honestly think we’d have more cameras than. Like downtown where people run lights like crazy under the overpass?!
Thanks for covering this money maker for the city!