City Leaders Push For Return Of Red Light Cameras

Red light cameras, which automatically photograph the license plates of vehicles that run red lights, could return to Charlotte soon.

The technology allows police to issue tickets by mail.

Courts nixed the program in 2006 because local schools weren't getting enough of the revenue from it. It was decided that the outside agency responsible for installing and running the cameras charged too much for administrative costs.

Charlotte city leaders now want to bring back the cameras, but leave out the third party. Instead, the city would run the program and give the money directly to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

In a letter to school leaders, City Council members said the cameras raise some much-needed money for schools and also help keep streets safe.

Statistics from the period of time in which the cameras were in use show car crashes dropped 19 percent at the intersections where they were installed and the seriousness of the wrecks fell 16 percent.

“We don't have money for the schools [and] we don't have a program that we know stops safety issues of accidents occurring and violators continually doing that,” Councilman Edwin Peacock said.

CMS officials said they haven’t yet seen the letter and had no comment on the issue.