Albany ponders traffic school access ahead of turning on cameras (2024)

With the installation of several new traffic cameras on Albany’s roads, some city councilors considered lifting the age restriction on those eligible for traffic school with the expected influx of tickets.

The motion didn’t pass and city staff say the idea would be moot either way because the council doesn’t have the power to make the change.

The cameras have been placed at several Albany intersections, including:

The cameras are not yet turned on, and Albany Chief of Police Marcia Harnden has promised to givea 30-day warning period before the switch is flipped.

The effort is to curb speeding behavior and encourage safety, according to Harnden. The new tickets are expected to generate as much as $3 million annually for the city before plateauing in future years as driver behavior adjusts.

With the influx of tickets, some city councilors hoped to bring down costs to Albany drivers with violations by lowering the age restriction for the city’s diversion program, which offers traffic school as an option to paying for the full ticket.

Currently, the diversion program requires drivers to be younger than 25 with no prior traffic violations.

A ticket from the camera is expected to run $265. Of that, $50 goes to the state of Oregon, $16 goes to the county, $179 goes to the city and $20 goes to the vendor.

Those who qualify for a diversion would pay approximately $125 for their tickets, with $75 going to the city and $50 going to the diversion program.

Councilor Steph Newton-Azorr broached lifting the age restriction for the diversion program at the May 8 council meeting and had shared the costs associated with the tickets based on conversations she had with city staff.

Newton-Azorr said she was inspired by people like her neighbor who had never gotten a traffic ticket before but were older than the maximum age allowed. That neighbor was on a fixed income, she added.

The age restriction is under the local municipal judge’s purview, according to Albany City Manager Peter Troedsson. He told councilorshe would mention the idea at his next meeting with the judge and other court stakeholders.

After attending the meeting, Troedsson relayed that judges set maximum ages as low as 18 while some courts are OK with offering diversion to older offenders.

However, lifting the age restriction would increase the burden on court staff, and it is difficult to estimate by how much because it is unknown how many people would apply for diversions, Troedsson said.

The average age of drivers who have received tickets for red light violations at the Queen and Geary intersection is 42, City Attorney Sean Kidd said.

Judge Jessica Meyer was hired based on her ability to bestow good judgment, Troedsson said. The Linn County Board of Commissioners appointed her to the position last year.

“The judge expressed her willingness to flex with the council’s wishes,” he said.

In the end, however, the motion failed on a 3-2 vote. Councilors Ray Kopczynski and Matilda Novak voted no, and Councilor Marilyn Smith was absent.

But even if council had passed the motion, it would be a moot point, Finance Director Jeanna Yeager said. A clause in Meyer’s contract requires the separation between branches of government, giving her full discretion.

The city is working on a FAQ page regarding common questions residents may have about the cameras, she added.

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