LA red-light traffic cameras may be significantly expanded

Los Angeles' red-light traffic camera program, which officials report netted more than $6 million last year after expenses, could be significantly expanded under a new contract to be negotiated over the next 14 months, it was reported today.

While adding more cameras could offer a welcome boost to city revenue in the midst of a fiscal crisis, officials tell the Los Angeles Times that any expansion will be based on safety considerations.

No goal has been set, but internal City Hall discussions have included the possibility of adding cameras to blocks of eight intersections at a time and eventually doubling the overall reach of the program to 64 intersections, Los Angeles Police Department officials told The Times.

Fresh details of the discussions emerged as the Police Commission Tuesday sent the City Council a recommendation to issue bid requests from vendors to operate – and presumably enlarge – the program starting next year, The Times reported.

Critics contend the safety benefits of red-light cameras have been overstated and that the cameras chiefly are used to fatten government coffers, the Times reported.

Complaints have grown louder as red-light ticket fines have climbed sharply in recent years. They now total more than $500 in Los Angeles County when traffic school fees are included, according to The Times.

But LAPD officials and some experts tell The Times that photo enforcement reduces potentially serious red-light-running accidents, changes driver behavior for the better and frees up patrol officers for other tasks.