wsdot-mcp-server

Search Highway Cameras

wsdot_search_cameras

Read-only

Returns WSDOT highway camera locations, descriptions, and image URLs. Camera images are copyright WSDOT — only metadata and image URLs are returned, not image bytes. Filter by state route ("I-90", "90", "SR 520", or "520" all work), WSDOT region, or milepost range. Results are ordered by cameraId and paged — pass offset/limit to page through the full set (the notice reports the next offset).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Maximum cameras to return in this page (1–500). Defaults to 50.
`offset`	No	Zero-based index of the first camera to return, for paging. Defaults to 0.
`region`	No	WSDOT region code: NW (Northwest), SW (Southwest), OL (Olympic), ER (Eastern), SC (South Central), OS (Olympic South), NC (North Central), or WA (statewide). Matching is case-insensitive.
`stateRoute`	No	State route to filter by. Accepts natural forms — "I-90", "90", "090", "SR 520", "520" — matched case- and space-insensitively to the route number. Camera road names carry a route-type prefix, which is compared when the filter carries one too: "SR 26" excludes US 26, while a bare "26" returns both. A lettered suffix is part of the route, so "US 97" excludes US 97A. Omit to include all routes.
`endMilepost`	No	End of milepost range to filter cameras.
`startMilepost`	No	Start of milepost range to filter cameras.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Informational note about the page window, copyright, or empty results. Absent when not applicable.
`cameras`	No	Camera metadata and image URLs. Images are copyright WSDOT.
`hasMore`	No	True when more cameras remain beyond the current page.
`nextOffset`	No	Offset to pass to retrieve the next page, or null when this is the last page.
`totalCount`	No	Total cameras matching the filters across all pages (not just this page).
`appliedFilters`	No	Active filters applied to the camera search.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 20, 2026
- removedOutput schema / properties / nextOffset / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / nextOffset / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "cameras",
+      "totalCount",
+      "nextOffset",
+      "hasMore",
+      "appliedFilters"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `api_unavailable`: WSDOT Traffic API is unreachable or returns a non-2xx response after retries. `invalid_access_code`: WSDOT rejected the request because WSDOT_ACCESS_CODE is missing, invalid, or not registered. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "api_unavailable",
+            "invalid_access_code"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "cameras",
-  "totalCount",
-  "nextOffset",
-  "hasMore",
-  "appliedFilters"
-]

Changed1 schema field changedJul 31, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / stateRoute / description

Previous value: -"State route to filter by. Accepts natural forms — \"I-90\", \"90\", \"090\", \"SR 520\", \"520\" — matched case- and space-insensitively to the canonical WSDOT route number. Omit to include all routes."New value: +"State route to filter by. Accepts natural forms — \"I-90\", \"90\", \"090\", \"SR 520\", \"520\" — matched case- and space-insensitively to the route number. Camera road names carry a route-type prefix, which is compared when the filter carries one too: \"SR 26\" excludes US 26, while a bare \"26\" returns both. A lettered suffix is part of the route, so \"US 97\" excludes US 97A. Omit to include all routes."

Changed8 schema fields changedJul 12, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / limit

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Maximum cameras to return in this page (1–500). Defaults to 50.",
+  "maximum": 500,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / offset

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Zero-based index of the first camera to return, for paging. Defaults to 0.",
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": 0,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / stateRoute / description

Previous value: -"Zero-padded 3-digit state route number (e.g. \"005\" for I-5, \"090\" for I-90)."New value: +"State route to filter by. Accepts natural forms — \"I-90\", \"90\", \"090\", \"SR 520\", \"520\" — matched case- and space-insensitively to the canonical WSDOT route number. Omit to include all routes."

addedOutput schema / properties / hasMore

Added value: +{
+  "description": "True when more cameras remain beyond the current page.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / nextOffset

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "Offset to pass to retrieve the next page, or null when this is the last page."
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Informational note about result truncation, copyright, or empty results. Absent when not applicable."New value: +"Informational note about the page window, copyright, or empty results. Absent when not applicable."

changedOutput schema / properties / totalCount / description

Previous value: -"Total number of cameras returned."New value: +"Total cameras matching the filters across all pages (not just this page)."

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "cameras",
-  "totalCount",
-  "appliedFilters"
-]New value: +[
+  "cameras",
+  "totalCount",
+  "nextOffset",
+  "hasMore",
+  "appliedFilters"
+]

Changed1 schema field changedJun 9, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / cameras / items / properties / direction / description

Previous value: -"Traffic direction monitored."New value: +"Traffic-direction code monitored: N/S/E/W, B (both), NB/SB/EB/WB. Some sites use other location-specific markers."

Changed1 schema field changedJun 8, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / region / description

Previous value: -"WSDOT region name: Northwest, Olympic, Southwest, South Central, North Central, or Eastern."New value: +"WSDOT region code: NW (Northwest), SW (Southwest), OL (Olympic), ER (Eastern), SC (South Central), OS (Olympic South), NC (North Central), or WA (statewide). Matching is case-insensitive."

Changed4 schema fields changedMay 30, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / appliedFilters

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Active filters applied to the camera search.",
+  "properties": {
+    "endMilepost": {
+      "description": "End milepost filter applied.",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "region": {
+      "description": "Region filter applied.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "startMilepost": {
+      "description": "Start milepost filter applied.",
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "stateRoute": {
+      "description": "State route filter applied.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / note

Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Informational note about result truncation or copyright.",
-  "type": "string"
-}

addedOutput schema / properties / notice

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Informational note about result truncation, copyright, or empty results. Absent when not applicable.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "cameras",
-  "totalCount"
-]New value: +[
+  "cameras",
+  "totalCount",
+  "appliedFilters"
+]

First observedMay 25, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The readOnlyHint annotation already signals a safe read operation. The description adds valuable behavioral details: it discloses copyright and that image bytes are not returned, and it explains that results are ordered by cameraId and paged with the next offset reported. These details go beyond the annotation and help the agent set expectations about output.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is two sentences with no filler. It front-loads the core purpose and limitations, then explains filtering and paging. Every clause adds information an agent needs, making it highly efficient and well-structured.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a search tool with 6 parameters, all covered by schema, and an output schema present, the description covers the essential behaviors: what is returned, filtering options, ordering, and paging. It does not detail output fields, but that is the output schema's role. The description is complete for invocation purposes.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description repeats some filter examples already present in the schema (e.g., route formats) but does not add new semantic meaning beyond what the schema already documents. It does not clarify parameter interplay beyond what schema covers, so it meets the baseline but does not exceed it.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description explicitly states the tool 'Returns WSDOT highway camera locations, descriptions, and image URLs' and clarifies that only metadata and URLs are returned, not image bytes. It clearly distinguishes this from sibling tools focused on ferries, tolls, travel times, etc. The verb 'search' in the name and the description's filter options make the purpose unmistakable.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides clear context on how to use the tool: filter by state route, region, or milepost range, and page with offset/limit. It gives examples of route formats ('I-90', '90', 'SR 520', '520') and notes the paging mechanism. It does not explicitly name alternatives or state when not to use it, but given the sibling set, it is self-evident that this is the only camera-related tool.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All wsdot-mcp-server tools Inspect

Try in Browser

One endpoint for every MCP toolRayrun runs every MCP server behind one URL and holds the credentials. Each call is decided per client, tool, and argument, then recorded.ray.runAd

Glama MCP Gateway

Add one secure layer between your agents and this server.