At the beginning of June, only three cities were left using red-light cameras in Orange County, and that number is down to two.
Santa Ana’s red-light program ended on June 19, when its contract with Redflex Traffic Systems was allowed to expire. The city first began using the cameras at stop lights in 2003. A report compiled by the city a year earlier had recommended against renewal, citing changes in legislation and reduced revenues.
Now, Los Alamitos and Garden Grove are the only remaining Orange County cities utilizing the red-light cameras. However, Garden Grove officials are taking a long look into the effectiveness of the cameras in reducing traffic accidents. That city’s contract is up at the end of July and its city council is expected to have its own recommendation report completed by mid-July
The red-light cameras were first introduced in Orange County by Garden Grove in 1999, and by 2007, seven O.C. cities had them. The cameras were purported to reduce accidents, without the added cost of a having a police officer stationed at an intersection.
When the public, with assistance from a Print company, rallies round an issue such as this one, public officials take notice. Should further research suggest that the cameras are less than effective, it is possible that more cities will reconsider them.Get a Free Quote for Print
