Red-light camera program could generate $2.5M: auditor general

The city’s red-light camera program could draw $2.5 million in revenue by implementing measures to reduce the number of tickets that are not processed for a variety of reasons, according to a report from the auditor general’s office.

There are over 2,000 signalized intersections of the city and just 87 cameras. Those cameras capture an image of a vehicle running a red traffic light later used to issue a ticket to motorists. Beginning as a pilot project in 2000, the program has not been able to recover its operating costs until 2010.

But once the city expanded the program and increased the fines to $325 from $180, the red-light camera program covered its operating costs. Last year, the program generated $800,000 in revenue for the city.

Since the introduction of red light camera enforcement throughout the city, accidents at intersections fitted with cameras have seen a drop. Accidents that result in injury fell 25 per cent at intersections with red light cameras versus six per cent overall at all signalized intersections in the city.

In 2010, 38,000 tickets were issued to red-light runners, but 21,000 tickets were not issued for a variety of reasons, including where the licence plate of the vehicle passing a red light was not visible.

The auditor general recommends asking the province to allow bylaw officers to enforce licence plate visibility issues in their day-to-day duties, saying that could bring an additional $1.7 million from the program.

The report says about 5,300 tickets were not issued last year because the white stop bar marking had faded. It adds that about 50 per cent of these tickets were not processed because the white stop bar marking was not visible in the photograph. The report recommends frequent painting of the lines – which would cost about $30,000 – could increase revenues by $600,000.

The report adds that the city loses about $318,000 in revenue each year as a result of out-of-province offenders. By enforcing payment from out-of-province motorists, the city could add $200,000 to its coffers.

The city will also review whether even distribution of cameras in the city’s wards is effective. 

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