Drivers on four Bellevue streets near schools and parks face $124 speeding fines starting the third week of September, after the city activated its first batch of new speed cameras Monday, Aug. 17.
The cameras are operating in warning mode as of Aug. 17. For the next month, speeders will receive a warning letter instead of a ticket. Once the warning period ends, citations carry a $124 fine for exceeding the posted limit by 8 mph or more. In school zones, the fine doubles to $248.
As we reported Aug. 14, the city had announced the cameras were coming. Here are the four locations:
- 148th Avenue NE, between NE 13th and 10th places (near Highland Middle School)
- NE 8th Street, between 167th Avenue NE and 168th Place NE
- Forest Drive SE, between 138th Avenue SE and SE 60th Street (near Meadow Wood Park)
- Forest Drive SE, between SE 54th Place and Coal Creek Parkway (near Coal Creek Natural Area)
Each location has two cameras covering both directions of travel.
"We know that addressing speed is important to improving traffic safety on Bellevue's streets," Transportation Director Andrew Singelakis said in the city's Aug. 13 announcement.
The expansion follows a December 2025 City Council directive. Staff analyzed 95 candidate sites using crash, speed and citation data before selecting seven Phase 1 locations, according to the city's speed camera program page. The first four went live Monday, Aug. 17. Three more locations are planned later in 2026:
- Bellevue Way SE, adjacent to the South Bellevue Park and Ride
- Coal Creek Parkway SE, between Forest Drive SE and SE 60th Street
- 116th Avenue NE, between NE 21st Street and Aegis Living Bellevue Overlake
When all seven locations are active, the program will operate 14 cameras total. Bellevue already runs three older school-zone cameras.
The city contracted with Verra Mobility to administer the system. A Bellevue Police Department official reviews each violation before a citation goes out to the registered vehicle owner. The tickets are civil infractions that do not appear on driving records and do not affect insurance rates.
Residents receiving public assistance or enrolled in the WIC program can request a 50% reduction in fines. Questions about the program can be directed to Franz Loewenherz, the city's Mobility Planning and Solutions manager, through bellevuewa.gov/speed-safety-cameras.
The program is part of Bellevue's Vision Zero initiative, which targets eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030. The three additional camera locations are expected to come online before the end of 2026, each with its own monthlong warning period before fines begin.
