PORTLAND, Ore. -- The speed cameras installed by the Portland Bureau of Transportation on Southeast Division Street and Southeast 122nd Avenue started recording driver information for tickets Wednesday, April 5.
The cameras are located on SE Division between 148th and 162nd streets, and on SE 122nd between Foster and Holgate streets.
They were operational for a 30-day grace period before Wednesday, issuing warnings instead of citations.
If drivers are clocked going over the speed limit, they may get a ticket. It's all part of a push to make Division Street safer. Portland Bureau of Transportation officials say the cameras are mounted along what they call "high crash corridors."
Background: Speed limit lowered on part of SE Division
PBOT says the cameras snap photos and take videos of cars that are traveling faster than the speed limit. That photo or video then gets passed on to Portland Police.
Officials said a camera set up on the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway is working extremely well.
"Right after the installation we saw an almost immediate drop in speeding," said John Brady with PBOT. "It dropped by 90 percent, so that's very good news. And it's continued to drop."
PBOT reports that the average speeds of vehicles on SE 122nd Avenue and SE Division have already decreased substantially.
● Before the cameras were installed, an average of 715 vehicles per day traveled 45 mph or faster on SE 122nd Avenue.
● After the cameras were installed, an average of 61 vehicles per day drove 45 mph and faster along SE 122nd Avenue reflecting a 91% decrease from the speed survey.
● Before the cameras were installed, an average of 1,762 vehicles per day traveled 10 mph and more over the posted speed limit on SE Division Street.
● After the cameras were installed, an average of 514 vehicles per day drove 40 mph and faster along SE Division Street reflecting a 71% decrease from the earlier count.
The cost of a ticket starts at $160. Money made from the tickets will go toward paying for the speed camera program and other safety improvements along outer Division.