In two months, Riverside will be shutting down its red light camera program. Some Riverside residents won’t mourn the passing of the city’s red light cameras, as many were aggravated by their presence in the first place. City officials are also not too sorry to see the cameras go, as the program ended up losing the city most of the years it as in place. Though the program does have its fair share of supporters.
On Tuesday, the council voted 5-2 to cancel their contract with Redflex Traffic Systems. Council members Mike Gardner and Jim Perry were the two voices of dissent in the council.
The red light program in Riverside began in 2006. Currently, the city has 18 cameras at 15 different intersections. The program has run in the red until recently; it was even in danger of being canceled in 2012 after it was projected that the program would have a $611,000 deficit. Officials were able to cut costs and reduce the number of cameras to save money on the program. In the past two years, the cuts have allowed the city to come out ahead by approximately $450,000.
Supporters of the system, including a retired police officer, predicted an increase in crashes and injuries if the red light cameras were to be removed. Many at the council meeting claimed that the red light cameras were powerful tools in helping drivers stay safe in dangerous intersections.
Read more about the red light cameras here.