Charlotte Considers Red Light Cameras at 10 Intersections Despite Funding Issues

The Charlotte City Council Public Safety Committee will review a plan Monday to install red light cameras across the city for the first time in almost 20 years. Officials want cameras at 10 spots picked from the city's high injury network.

More than 60 people died or suffered serious injuries at traffic lights, city records show. Over 2,000 other people got hurt at these same spots. Last year, about 8% of crashes that killed or badly injured someone happened when drivers ran red lights, according to Councilmember Dante Anderson, who chairs the committee.

Charlotte tried this before. Between 1998 and 2006, the city ran a red light camera program. Crashes at these spots dropped by 30%. But a court decision killed the program when judges ruled that money from tickets had to go to schools instead of the city.

That same problem still exists. State law says most ticket money must go to public schools, so cities can't use it to pay for cameras.

"It effectively becomes a cost center for cities that would execute these programs," Anderson said to WCNC Charlotte.

Anderson said recent court cases might let cities cover their costs before sending money to schools. This could make the program break even. The committee is now looking at two choices: Charlotte pays upfront and bills Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, or CMS pays from the start.

No city in North Carolina runs red light cameras right now. At least one other city is thinking about it. The cameras record video or take photos of drivers who run red lights. Officers check the footage later and mail tickets.

Anderson thinks cameras could prevent deaths and make drivers more careful.

"One life saved is one life saved, right? And it's not only just the life, it's the livelihood of the families and the loved ones of that individual," Anderson said. "If you know that there's a camera at an intersection, that might deter you from pushing on the accelerating pedal when it's a yellow signal."

Staff members are studying which 10 spots from the high injury network would work best. No vote has been scheduled. Anderson said the committee might vote to send a recommendation to the full council as soon as June.