On Friday, the red light camera program that has been in existence in San Diego county for almost 15 years has been was shut down.
The contract for the cameras expired on January 31 and the cameras are no longer operation, reports CBS8 news.
The cameras that are located at 15 intersections through out San Diego were operated by a private firm. The contract was pending expiration on Friday and Mayor Bob Filner along with police Chief William Lansdowne decided to not renew the contract.
“Until midnight last night this system used robotic technology to capture unsuspecting motorists in the San Diego version of a traffic trap,” said the Mayor. “This is not the way to enforce the traffic laws or teach people about the traffic laws. The best deterrent is a police officer, writing citations and talking to citizens.”
“I have listened to residents who are angry and confused about the reliability of this system. I have heard from traffic engineers about accident statistics and changing traffic patterns on our roadways. And, I have listened carefully to Chief Lansdowne as he described the training, knowledge and discretion his officers bring to enforcing traffic laws,” said the mayor. “These cameras are history on San Diego city streets."
Filner was not in favor of the program and Jerry Sanders decided not to even bring a contract renewal to the City Council before he left office in January.
The camera that takes automatic photographs of a vehicles' license plate and the driver running a red light accounted for about 25 percent of citations issued in 2011, U-T San Diego reported. The cameras were located at:
-- 10th Avenue at A and F streets
-- Aero Drive at Murphy Canyon Road
-- Camino Del Rio N. at Mission Center Road
-- Camino De La Reina /Camino Del Rio N. at Qualcomm Way
-- Clairemont Mesa Boulevard at Convoy Street
-- Cleveland Avenue at Washington Street
-- Del Mar Heights Road at El Camino Real
-- Kearny Villa Road at Balboa Avenue
-- Mira Mesa Boulevard at Scranton Road and Westview Parkway
-- Mission Bay Drive at Garnet Avenue
-- N. Torrey Pines Road at Genessee Avenue
-- Rosecrans Street at Nimitz Boulevard
There are still 20 red light cameras still opening in the counties of El Cajon, Vista, Poway, Oceanside, Solana Beach and Encinitas.
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