LOS ANGELES, Calif.–A Los Angeles City Council stalemate over extending the city’s contract for red light cameras today effectively ended the program, in which drivers caught running red lights got tickets carrying fines of $446 each.
After more than an hour of debate, the 15-member council was unable to muster enough votes to overturn the Police Commission decision to let the contract with American Traffic Solution expire, effective July 31.
The council could not agree on the merits of the red light cameras, which are installed at 32 intersections around the city. The Police Commission concluded there was no evidence the cameras improved safety, and the city has not realized the increased revenue it expected.
The city paid about $2.7 million per year under the contract.
Councilman Tony Cardenas, who co-sponsored a motion with Councilman Bernard Parks to extend the program for up to a year so more studies could be done, wanted more time before voting to let the program die. He also wanted another report on the camera-enforcement program.
“It is wasteful to immediately dismantle an infrastructure that is already in place,” Cardenas said.
“All I was asking my colleagues today was to consider the opportunity to make clarity and to make this a better system between now and July 31.”
Councilmen Eric Garcetti, Dennis Zine, Paul Krekorian and Paul Koretz all expressed frustration that the Legislature made enforcement of traffic camera tickets by the Los Angeles County Superior Court voluntary.
Court officials indicated they would not ask the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the licenses of drivers who do not pay red-light tickets based on electronic ticketing.
“Until that law changes, shut them down,” Garcetti said.
