Newswire: Beaverton Expands Its Traffic Safety Efforts

This press release was issued last night by the City of Beaverton Police Department (emphasis mine – see last two paragraphs):

City of Beaverton Expands its Traffic Safety Efforts

The Beaverton City Council and the City’s Supplemental Budget Committee have approved a Traffic Safety Proposal with the goal of enhancing the City’s traffic safety enforcement and education efforts.

The Traffic Safety Proposal allows for a reduction of all City of Beaverton fine amounts by approximately 20 percent. The City of Beaverton recognized it ranked as one of the highest municipalities in terms of base fines for traffic violations. With the current economic climate, the City wanted to take this opportunity to reduce the financial burden these fines can cause.

The proposal also creates a vehicle compliance program, commonly referred to as “fix-it tickets.” This program will allow citizens the opportunity to repair or correct certain registration or vehicle equipment violations prior to their court date in exchange for a dismissal of the violation and fine.

Starting in January 2011 and phased in over a six month period, the Beaverton Police Department will add two traffic officers and a traffic lieutenant to the Department’s Traffic Safety Team. During the same period, the Beaverton Municipal Court will add one court clerk and a court bailiff position.

The traffic safety efforts of the Beaverton Police Department will also include enforcement of the “right turn on red” cameras in January 2011. The primary benefit of this safety program will be to pedestrians and bicycles crossing at the intersections where the cameras are currently installed and will commence with a 30-day warning period.

Chief Geoff Spalding commented: “More people have lost their lives in motor vehicle crashes in the City of Beaverton than as a result of criminal violence. This is a citywide effort to reduce the number of injuries and deaths suffered by citizens as a result of traffic-related crashes.”