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Automated red-light cameras got a green light at a Pittsburgh City Council meeting on Wednesday, as members took a preliminary vote to allow use of the technology.
The cameras will make it possible to photograph, and later cite, drivers who run red lights at the city’s most dangerous intersections.
Introduced by Councilor Erika Strassburger and co-sponsored by Councilor Barb Warwick, the bill is part of the city’s “Vision Zero” initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities.
“It is a way to, first and foremost, protect the safety of people who are traveling our streets,” Strassburger said at council’s Wednesday meeting.
Once installed, cameras will record violations for the city’s police department to process. Police will validate the offense before mailing a ticket to the address registered for the vehicle. Fines are capped at $100, and proceeds would be sent to PennDOT’s Motor License Fund. Offenders will then have 30 days to pay the fine or appeal.
“Unfortunately, drivers in the city don't seem to want to regulate themselves,” said Warwick. “So, hopefully once this goes into effect, there will be more consequence for reckless and distracted driving in the city.”
Final passage of the bill, which is slated for next week, will allow the city to begin a search for a company to install the cameras. Locations will be selected based on crash data and must be approved by PennDOT, Strassburger said. The city must allow for a 60-day warning period upon the installation of the first automated red light, and 30-day warnings for each light after that. Intersections with red-light cameras would have signage alerting drivers about the technology.
Other councilors and members of the public spoke in support of the bill Wednesday.
Marian Kaelin, community engagement chair of Complete Streets at the University of Pittsburgh and Constituent Services Liaison for Councilor Bob Charland, said the Oakland area could particularly benefit.
“The implementation of automatic red light enforcement is a key method of traffic control,” she said. By warning drivers of the cameras “and allowing law enforcement to easily pinpoint reckless driving, bad driving habits can be addressed before they cause harm.”
Eric Boerer, advocacy director with BikePGH, said automated enforcement has the potential to reduce hazardous driving.
“Dangerous drivers do need to be held responsible for the risk they pose to our neighbors, and automated enforcement is a proven method to do so in a safe and unbiased way, while removing armed enforcement from the equation,” he said.
The cameras would add to existing traffic-calming measures like speed bumps, and city officials said an expansion of those efforts was necessary.
“I’m glad that we’re doing something different, because I'm seeing the city of Pittsburgh turn into speed bumps all over the place, and they're now not working everywhere either,” said Councilor Theresa Kail-Smith. “I do think enforcement has to be part of every component because it's just not working the way it is.”
Councilor Khari Mosley cited a recent fatal collision in his district in Homewood, in which a young girl was killed by a car while riding her bike.
“Our city will not be the best version of itself until we make it safe for every mode of transit that that human beings take,” Mosley said. “I'm truly committed to preventing the type of tragedies that we had two weeks ago in Homewood.”
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