Letter: City vehicles speeding on the highways

Vancouver resident Peter Bracchi shares what he considers to be a growing concern

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

I recently conducted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the City of Vancouver, WA, regarding the use of city-owned vehicles. The data I received included GPS coordinates, time of day, and vehicle speeds. After filtering for speeds over 66 miles per hour—beyond typical speed limits in our area — I found hundreds of instances of city vehicles (non-police) traveling between 67 and over 90 miles per hour on our highways and interstates.

This is a concerning pattern.

Excessive speeding in city vehicles is not just a traffic violation—it’s an issue of public safety, fiscal responsibility, and environmental impact. Every mile per hour over the speed limit increases fuel consumption, accelerates vehicle wear and tear, and raises the risk of accidents. All of this leads to greater maintenance costs, more frequent vehicle replacement, and unnecessary carbon emissions—all funded by taxpayer dollars.

With Vancouver’s growing attention to sustainability and responsible governance, this is a problem we can and should fix. Instituting speed monitoring and accountability for city vehicle operators could save money, reduce emissions, and set an example for responsible driving across the community. They have the means to do it.

I’ve made the data publicly viewable here: Google Map Link.

Let’s encourage our city leaders to take action on this issue—not just for compliance, but for the many benefits we can gain by doing better.

Peter Bracchi
Vancouver