Red light cameras shut down: South City takes down devices four years after controversy over administrative errors

“I voted to keep them because of where I live, I’m there all the time,” she said. “It worries me about the residents (who include seniors). The rolling stop is a safety issue. I’ve watched people stopping because they don’t know (the cameras are inoperable).”

The five-year contract with American Traffic Solutions covered cameras at the intersection of Chestnut Avenue/Westborough Boulevard and El Camino Real, as well as the intersection of Hickey Boulevard and El Camino Real. Staff found the accident rate for the Hickey Boulevard intersection has remained relatively the same, while the accident rate at the Westborough intersection has gone up. Both intersections have shown a reduction in the number of accidents attributed to red light violations and the number of injuries has gone down at both intersections, according to a staff report.

“I personally think they do serve a purpose, but when you look at expenses involved, the only one making money is the vendor,” said Vice Mayor Richard Garbarino. “You’re looking at about a $700-$800 payout (with traffic school and fines). It’s way, way, way too unfair. For working people who don’t make a lot of money, it’s a big bite of their monthly take-home pay. … There’s got to be some amount of reasonableness to this thing. The rationale just kind of ran out.”

South San Francisco is joining San Carlos, Burlingame, Belmont and Redwood City, who also nixed their red light cameras. Burlingame paid an early termination fee in 2010 to end its program, while San Carlos shut down its system in 2011. Belmont and Redwood City ended their programs in 2013.

Millbrae cameras

Meanwhile, with the recent turmoil about the utility of red light cameras in Millbrae following a spike in tickets because new cameras were installed, residents are looking to South San Francisco as an example of a city making the right decision to remove the cameras.

“I stood at the corner for half an hour, none of the lights lasted three seconds; I swear the light was a second and half,” said Belmont resident John Barrelier, who received one of the red light tickets in Millbrae. “I would like them to be correct. The minute they (Millbrae City Council) realized there was some question, they should have notified all the people who were ticketed before they paid the fines. It’s only honest to do that and they should be tested weekly.”

Another person who got a ticket from a red light camera in Millbrae, Millbrae resident James Mitchell, wrote to the City Council to complain about the ticketing process.

“I performed an illegal yet very common practice of yielding before turning right at a red light, apparently for not stopping the full three seconds that many tell me you must do only in Millbrae and only at that intersection,” he wrote to the City Council. “This is done by almost every single resident of the Bay Area daily. I don’t just roll into intersections abandoning all care. And I surely am astonished I am being penalized $500 for such a prevalent action only in Millbrae and only at that intersection.”

Mitchell noted he feels very bad for those whose lives will undergo extreme stress at such a lofty fine.

“Mind you, texting while driving which in my opinion is extremely more dangerous yields you a fine of less than $200,” he wrote. “I rode in a taxi to the airport and the taxi driver told me they are going to stop serving Millbrae because two of their drivers had to quit [because] they had multiple citations — only in Millbrae and only at that intersection — and they are afraid to drive anywhere near the intersection.”

Still, Millbrae Mayor Wayne Lee said there are no plans to eliminate the cameras.

“We found the evidence that there are no repeat offenders, so we think it’s very effective in keeping people from making rushed judgments,” he said. “It’s an issue because it’s a very busy pedestrian section. It’s serving its purpose if it gets people to think twice.”

angela@smdailyjournal.com

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