What's up City Lifers? I was checking some of the headlines today and I came across an article regarding the shutting down of red-light cameras in Long Beach. Currently, there are five locations which include these intersections: 
Seventh Street and Redondo Avenue; Bellflower Boulevard and Willow Street; Cherry Avenue and Artesia Boulevard; Wardlow Road and Long Beach Boulevard; and Anaheim Street and Long Beach Boulevard.

The reason why the city turned off the cameras was due to the expiration of the contract with American Traffic Solutions, Inc.. The city of Long Beach is now reviewing the pros and cons of keeping these cameras active. I live near the Cherry and Artesia intersection, and I've actually received a ticket from this camera system. I was in the fault, but it always thought of it to be distraction. Oh yea, these camera's have been turned off since December 2010!

Here is a quote from the news article:

"Under the contract with American Traffic Solutions, the city pays the company a flat fee of $20,000 a month, or $240,000 annually, for the rental of the camera equipment. The city then keeps the revenue generated from the traffic violations, Sund said.

 

For the 2010 fiscal year, the city generated $474,646 in revenue.

 

The cameras typically result in several thousand citations each year. In 2010, 5,122 citations were issued for running red lights, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

 

Like the LAPD, the Long Beach Police Department also touts the cameras as a safety tool, maintaining that the number of accidents has dropped by 35 percent in the intersections.

 

Running red lights or other traffic controls is the most common cause of crashes in urban citiesareas, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Proponents say the cameras are effective in preventing right-angle crashes, which can be more dangerous than rear-end crashes.

One study by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed that right-angle crashes in intersections with red-light cameras decrease by 25 percent while rear-end crashes increase by 15 percent."

 

So what are your experiences with the red-light cameras in Long Beach? Have you received a tickets? Have you been a part or witnessed accidents that involved the cameras? What are your thoughts on the camera system in general? Should we keep the cameras no matter what? Let it be know below.

If you would like to read the full Press Telegram article click here.

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