If you are among the 50,000 drivers with outstanding fines due for red light camera tickets, sorry, but the city is still looking to collect that money from you. Today the Los Angeles City Council voted in favor of continuing to pay the contractor hired to collect those fines. more ›

The Los Angeles Police Commission has had it with the City of Los Angeles' current red light camera program, and today they said "no" to proposal to keep them up and running. At this point, the only way the city can keep them running is if "the City Council opts to strip the commission of its authority on the issue," explains L.A. Now. more ›

Assemblyman Paul Cook (R-Yucca) was spurred to introduce the legislation after constituents raised concerns that the monitors were lining municipal coffers at the expense of public safety, said John Sobel, Cooks’s chief of staff. 'If we are installing cameras simply for the sake of increasing revenue, that’s not a good reason to have them,' Sobel said." more ›

The city's red light cameras will keep clicking in our intersections for the next three months, as the Los Angeles Police Commission approved an extension for the expiring contract with their vendor last night, according to the Daily News. At issue, however, remains a resolution to the "conflicting reports" offered up about the red light camera program's impact on drivers' safety and behavior. more ›

In the city of Murrieta, where residents have accused officials of installing red light cameras "to make a quick buck," revenue from the tickets the cameras generate could soon get turned over to local charities, according to the Press-Enterprise. Though tickets can cost around $400 for the driver, after deducting fees to the state, county, and for administrative costs, Murrieta actually doesn't make all that much--around $30 per citation. Last week their mayor, Randon Lane, said the city would be looking in to donating that revenue. Not likely this would happen in Los Angeles--where the City is in need of some charity of its own! more ›

Despite being a revenue flop, the Police Commission has accepted LAPD Chief Charlie Beck's recommendation and voted unanimously that the city continue its red light camera program, according to CBS2. A recent audit shows that the program is generating citations, however over $7 million owed from those tickets has gone unpaid. Commission President John Mack, however, believes the program is not about its money-generating potential, but rather being a tool for improving public safety. more ›

Los Angeles Police Department's Chief Charlie Beck continues to support the city's red light camera program, according to LA Now, and "insists the program is needed to reduce accidents and save lives, despite that it's losing millions of dollars because of unpaid tickets." more ›

Among the many bills Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved and vetoed was one that would have significantly lowered the fine for drivers caught on camera slowly blowing a red light to make a right-hand turn. If approved, the fine would have dropped from $450 to $219, which is the fine given to motorist caught running a stop sign, according to the Mercury News. more ›

How effective is Los Angeles' Photo Red Light Program? That's the question City Controller Wendy Greuel will be talking about at a press conference later this morning. The enforcement cameras, which record drivers who will eventually receive a ticket in the mail running red lights, are supposed to improve public safety by reducing accidents at the city's highest risk intersections. more ›

Nine intersection approaches and 1,586 citations. That's one month -- last May -- in Beverly Hills, finds the Beverly Hills Courier (.pdf). The city isn't planning to add any more cameras to their stock, but they do plan to continue keeping drivers on guard by moving them around. more ›

California's Senate on Friday unanimously passed a bill that would benefit state coffers, but leave cities with fewer dollars to collect when motorists get cited. Authored by Long Beach Democrat Sen. Jenny Oropeza, SB 949 would prohibit cities from citing motorists under city law instead of already existing state law, which allowed municipalities to keep fines. more ›

To Anaheim, it doesn't matter if red light cameras are potential cash cows or costly enterprises; they don't want them in their city, period. Last night the Anaheim City Council "expressed support for an city charter amendment that would ban the" cameras that click a picture then ticket motorists who allegedly run the intersection's red light, according to LA Now. Anaheim's mayor, Curt Pringle, said of the cameras and tickets: "It's very discouraging when government thinks its sole purpose is ... to use public safety as a revenue-raising tool." Voters will likely be casting their ballots on the issue in November. more ›

A state senate bill making its way through Sacramento has ruffled the feathers of some Los Angeles politicians. SB 949, authored by Senator Jenny Oropeza of Long Beach, would strip a local municipalities right to enact moving violations penalties... more ›

Remember when CBS2 investigated crashes at intersections where red light cameras were installed? Their report concluded that incidents were up, citing the number of rear-end crashes when drivers stopped earlier than expected at yellow lights. But that report was faulty, in our opinion, ignoring the fact that red light cameras are not to blame, but people who tailgating are. more ›

Now that red light cameras are costing Los Angeles money--to the tune of $100,00 a month--instead of generating income, or at least being revenue neutral, a L.A. City Council panel yesterday "reluctantly" approved a short 3-month contract extension with the company that operates them, says the Daily News. Since their installation, the LAPD says there have been no fatalities at the 32 camera-intersections (but accidents are up, mainly because people can't drive) and they would like to see the number of cameras doubled within city limits. "At a time when we are laying off 4,000 workers and the police department has an $80 million shortfall, I'm not sure we can justify this," said Councilmember Greig Smith. The contract extension still must be approved by the full city council. more ›

The city could soon be bringing in more much-needed revenue if they follow through on discussions to expand the current red light camera program, according to the LA Times. Over the next few months LA's motorists could see cameras added to "blocks of eight intersections at a time and eventually doubling the overall reach of the program to 64 intersections." more ›

As part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget proposal, which includes offshore oil drilling to fund state parks, he included an idea that would enable cameras at intersections not just catch red light violators, but speeders, too. If passed, cities and counties would be able to install a speed sensor, says the LA Times. "Those whizzing by the detectors up to 15 mph above the limit would have to fork over $225 per violation," the paper said. "Those going faster than that would pay $325 under the plan." more ›

Over a two-year period, Los Angeles increased revenues from red light enforcement cameras from $200,000 to $400,000. The culprit? A recent doubling in fines for running red lights when making a right turn. The LA Times explains: more ›