News Release - Mayor Warren Pulls Plug on Red Light Camera Program

City of Rochester

News Release

Update:  Statement from Mayor Lovely A Warren on City Council Vote to Terminate Red Light Camera Program

(Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016) – I want to thank the City Council for voting to terminate the City of Rochester Red Light Camera Traffic Safety Program. With tonight’s vote, we are on track to end the program on Dec. 31. Learn more>> 

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16-red-light-cancel-presser (Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016) – Mayor Lovely A. Warren today submitted legislation to City Council that would terminate the City’s Red Light Camera Traffic Safety Program.

“The Red Light Camera Program has been wildly unpopular among Rochester’s citizens, and its benefits simply do not justify a further extension,” said Mayor Warren. “I am particularly concerned that too many of these tickets have been issued to people who can least afford to pay them, which is counterproductive to our efforts to reverse our city’s troubling rates of poverty. I cannot, in good conscience, wage a fight against poverty while also imposing burdensome fines that that have a disproportionate impact on people living in poverty. “That just doesn’t make sense.”

A study conducted by an independent traffic consultant contracted by the City determined the benefits of the program are inconclusive. From 2013 to 2015, the number of red light violations at some intersections declined, some increased and some stayed the same.”

Upon her own review of the study, Mayor Warren was troubled by the fact that there were more total red light violations in zip codes with the city’s highest rates of poverty, including 14605; 14609; 14611; 14619; and 14621. This led to her decision to call for an end to the program.

"I want to make one thing perfectly clear,” Mayor Warren said. “Running a red light is very dangerous and puts our citizens and visitors at risk. The Rochester Police Department will continue to enforce red light violations. We are simply eliminating one of the tools we use to enforce this law.”

Legislation submitted to City Council today would bring an end to the Red Light Camera program effective Dec. 31 by terminating the City’s contract with the Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. City Council will consider the legislation at its regular monthly meeting on Dec. 20.

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News Media: For more information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135. 
 

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