Crashes have dropped nearly in half at three Tigard intersections since the city installed traffic cameras in 2020. But the program has run a cumulative $715,000 deficit and pulled sworn officers away from patrol.
Tigard Police Department Lt. Thomas Clarson and Finance Director Eric Kang presented the update at a Sept. 8 City Council work session, as first reported by Tigard Life. The program, now in its seventh year, uses red-light and speed cameras at three intersections along SW Pacific Highway (99W): Hall Boulevard, 72nd Avenue and Durham Road.
Total crashes at those locations are down 48% since 2020, according to data Clarson presented to the council. Citations are also climbing. Violations at the Durham Road intersection have more than tripled since 2024, and the other two sites have seen increases as well. The program briefly shut down in 2025 for a vendor change but rebounded in 2026.
The safety gains come with a staffing cost. Under the program's current process, sworn Tigard police officers must personally review every potential citation the vendor flags, then attend court trials up to twice a week.
"Currently we're reviewing all citations with sworn police officers, who would otherwise be on the road," Clarson said at the Sept. 8 session. "Their time could be more effectively used responding to calls."
Clarson suggested the council consider hiring three half-time traffic agents to handle that workload, though he offered no specific timeline, describing it as something to weigh "at some point in the future."
On the financial side, Kang told the council the program has accumulated a $715,000 deficit since it launched. Revenue peaked in fiscal year 2021–22, then declined before rebounding sharply. Fiscal 2026 revenue is up 49%, and costs have leveled off.
Since January, revenue has outpaced spending, producing a modest $11,000 year-to-date surplus. Kang cautioned against reading too much into six months of data, saying staff will continue to monitor whether the recent improvement holds.
The cameras at Hall Boulevard enforce both speeding and red-light violations in all directions. The city's photo enforcement page lists red-light and speed enforcement at 72nd Avenue as well, though Clarson's presentation described that site as monitoring highway traffic only. At Durham Road, cameras catch red-light violations only.
No vote or follow-up date on the staffing proposal has been announced. Residents can view intersection details and violation data on the city's photo enforcement page.
