Traffic safety is a priority for the City of Tigard. In 2020, the City installed photo traffic enforcement equipment along SW Pacific Highway to make the roadway safer for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

Drivers who run red lights have been identified as the leading cause of urban crashes according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“We know that speed is a factor at intersections where you have red light violations as cars speed up to beat red lights,” says Tigard Police Lieutenant Neil Charlton.

There are not enough police officers to enforce red-light and speed violations at every dangerous intersection in Tigard. Photo enforcement is one of the tools the City of Tigard is using to address the problem and make driving in the city safer.

The City of Tigard considered a number of criteria, including crash and violation data in selecting three intersections along Pacific Highway (99W) to install photo enforcement. In March 2020, photo traffic enforcement for red-light violations went live at the following intersections:

• SW 72nd Avenue
• SW Hall Boulevard
• SW Durham

Intersection speed enforcement was added in July 2020 at two of those intersections:

• SW 72nd Avenue
• SW Hall Boulevard

Photo traffic enforcement generates high-resolution photos and videos of a violation. After an initial review by a vendor technician, Tigard Police officers personally review all potential violations to confirm that an actual violation occurred.

Citations mailed to drivers will include photos and a link to video footage for the recipient to review.

The citation amount for red-light violations is $265, the base fine set by the State of Oregon. If the recipient wants to contest a violation, they may contact Tigard Municipal Court for options.

When photo enforcement equipment identifies a speeding violation, which must be at least 11 mph over the posted speed limit per Oregon law, the presumptive fines range from $165 (Class C violation) to $440 (class A violation) as set by Oregon Revised Statute 811.111.

A portion of program revenue is remitted to the state and county and then the remainder goes to the city. Under Oregon law, (ORS 153.650), cities must pay back a portion of all traffic fine payments to the State of Oregon and appropriate county. Combined, this is $66 per ticket. After that, the remaining revenue goes back into the program, paying for vendor contracts, equipment, maintenance, and additional staffing costs. If any revenue remains after paying for program costs, it will be dedicated to support the debt service on a new police facility, as per Tigard City Council. After this set-aside, any final remaining funds would be invested in traffic safety programs.

The City began researching Photo Traffic Enforcement (PTE) in 2010. The decision to implement the technology in Tigard was based upon the following factors:

• Statistics indicated a concerning number of traffic crashes at certain intersections along SW Pacific Highway/(99W).
• Studies revealed that many drivers were running red lights and speeding through these signaled intersections. These driving behaviors have a direct correlation to traffic crashes.
• The majority of Tigard residents who responded to a 2017 poll supported the use of photo traffic enforcement.
• Tigard Police are challenged by the configuration of these selected intersections and have limited resources available to enforce traffic violations there.

Photo Traffic Enforcement is a safety program focused on changing driver behavior at red light intersections through a comprehensive approach involving engineering, education and enforcement. Neighboring cities that have been using photo traffic enforcement technology at intersections have seen a decline in red light violations and injury crashes.

Our system has already caught several close calls. When you're behind the wheel, please remember to put away your phone and other distractions and focus on the road.