If you run a red light at one of four major intersections in the City of West Hollywood, WeHo’s digital paparazzi will be tracking you.
The city announced today that it will install new red-light photo enforcement technology at four current photo-enforced intersections. The new digital cameras, which are capable of documenting vehicles that run red lights from the front and the rear with video and still photos, are replacing the previously installed film-based cameras that only took photos of the front of vehicles.
The city will begin a 30-day warning period for red light photo enforcement — from this coming Monday through April 11. During that time, warning notices will be mailed to registered owners of vehicles who were photographed committing red-light violations.
After the 30-day warning period passes, notices of violation will be issued by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. People who receive citations will be able to view photos and video of the violation on a password-protected site.
Red-light enforcement will be conducted at eight intersection approaches (two approaches on each of four intersections), which have a history of red-light-based violations. Every intersection approach monitored by cameras is marked with a sign, notifying approaching traffic that the intersection is being monitored. The four intersections are:
• Beverly Boulevard at Robertson Boulevard, eastbound and westbound;
• La Brea Avenue at Fountain Avenue, northbound and southbound;
• Santa Monica Boulevard at La Brea Avenue, northbound and eastbound; and
• La Cienega Boulevard at Melrose Avenue, northbound and southbound.
The city previously used red-light photo enforcement cameras at 24 intersection approaches at eight intersections. In combination with upgrades to signal timing and enhancements to roadway markings, the program led to a successful reduction in accidents and violations. Traffic engineering analysis determined the other 16 intersection approaches no longer exhibit high instances of red light violations.
Years of research has shown Red Light Cameras actually lead to / cause a big increase in accidents. Drivers speeding up or stopping short has made most cities to remove Red Light Cameras for serious traffic safety. Try googling it.
It seems to be unanimous here at least that this is a stupid decision so who exactly is to blame for these cameras being installed?
How much did these cameras cost the city last time around? I’ll bet all the equipment from the last failed “traffic camera” experiment is in a storage closet at city hall.
About ignoring the tickets… If you are gonna ignore a red light camera ticket from WeHo or elsewhere in LA County, you need to ignore it completely. You must not go on the court’s website and look at your record as that gives the court acknowledgment that you received the ticket. You also must not go to the court window clerks and inquire about your ticket. You just need to behave as if you never received the thing in the mail. In other words, do nothing except to tell your friends to ignore their camera tickets. And please note: The… Read more »
David,
These fines are not enforceable. Read the comments – you do not have to pay.
Graying, greedy city has priced out young people (who are moving their disposable incomes to North Hollywood and Downtown instead) and needs more revenue to fund its transition to Manhattan-lite. Sad!
25 mph speed limit throughout Weho would solve many safety problems. Create revenue from rectors and talkers who walk and drive. Realign turn land arrows and sequencing. Traffic would flow, safety would improve, texters & talkers may tire of paying expensive tickets. Harsh? So is a car crash.
As long as we are talking about traffic lights,The lights need to be changed, for left turns! When you have your arrow, you have to wait for half of it, while cross traffic all makes THEIR left turns on their yellow! Change the arrow to to before the yellow! Not after the red! Can’t believe there aren’t more accidents. so you have both people trying to turn left at the same time, one has the arrow, the other has a yellow! That is a conflict!
Did reinstallation of these lights ever come before CC for discussion or vote? If so, if anyone knows the circumstances…….
Not only do they not work, but as Henry Wilson mentioned above, LA County is not enforcing the fines. The court can hold on to your record, but it’s the private companies who chase you down. Ignore the warnings. I got a ticket which I ignored repeatedly – and I don’t remember the increasing fee(s) but it was woo-hoo expensive. Check it out yourself, but do not pay if you are caught. This was the intersection at Fairfax and Fountain, maybe five or six years ago. I have had a clean record since the 80s. I still do. It’s hard… Read more »
Grants Rants (above) might be mistaking studies that indicated rear-end accidents were happening more frequently at camera-installed intersections because drivers were seeing the camera at the last minute (on a yellow light) or seeing the flash on the car going through ahead of them, and slamming on their brakes, triggering the rear ender from behind. Perhaps his version is also happening, but I thought I’d toss in the study I saw years ago, when most cities were pulling their cameras from intersections. That said, it is scary out there with all the speeding and texting, especially for pedestrians. I would… Read more »
Los Angeles stopped using them because they were losing tons of money on them! The video companies charge exorbitant ongoing fees to the City for their use, with promises of vast revenue, which in reality comes in at fractions of what they predict.