Red-Light Camera Planned to Snap Valley Intersection

Four city intersections known for accidents and traffic violations will be the first in Los Angeles to receive a system that photographs motorists who run red lights, officials announced Thursday.

Cameras will begin snapping pictures by July 1.

Three of the intersections were selected in part because of the high number of drivers who run red lights: the corner of Figueroa Street and Imperial Highway in South-Central, the corner of 3rd Street and Vermont Avenue in the Wilshire District and the corner of Westwood and Wilshire boulevards in West Los Angeles.

The fourth intersection is Sherman Way at Winnetka Avenue, which recently made a list of the city’s most accident-prone intersections.

“We hope that, at these locations and 12 others we will install later, we will reduce accidents and reduce violations,” said John Fisher, a city official.

Despite concern by some officials that the devices may result in an invasion of privacy, the City Council approved the pilot program last month based on the experiences of other cities, where photo red-light enforcement has reduced violations anywhere from 30% to 50%.

“I’m very confident it will work,” said Councilwoman Laura Chick, whose West Valley district includes the first Valley intersection to be outfitted.

Sensors under the street trigger a camera when a car enters an intersection after the light turns red.

A report issued last month identified the Valley’s Sherman Way-Winnetka intersection as one of the worst in the city for accidents. There were 17 reported accidents in the intersection in the 12-month period ending last August.

The other three intersections experience at least 24 blatant red-light violations each day, according to consultant Lockheed Martin IMS.

“These are all high volume traffic and collision intersections,” said LAPD Sgt. Robert Rieboldt.

Overall, accidents in Los Angeles are up 4% from 1997 to 1999, reversing a previous downward trend. There are other intersections that ranked higher in numbers of accidents, but they were ruled out for a variety of reasons, including engineering problems that include the difficulty of installing cameras, Rieboldt said.

Two cameras will be installed at each crossroads. The cameras will face south and north at the Wilshire District intersection, and east and west at the three others.

Citations will not be issued against motorists who enter intersections to make left-hand turns before the light changes or who get stuck in the intersection after the light changes, Chick said.

The cost of installing the bracing and poles will be about $20,000 at each intersection, with the contractor picking up the cost of installing the cameras.

Lockheed Martin IMS gets a $60 fee for every $271 citation paid by motorists.

Because the camera must clearly photograph both the license plate and the face of the driver for the ticket to hold up in court, only about 40% of the photographs will result in citations being issued.

Fisher said the systems will probably result in about four or five tickets per day for each camera.

The next 12 systems are scheduled to be installed by the end of the year.