Poway’s research reveals what many cities are finding: Turning off the red-light cameras saves the city money and does not appear to affect traffic safety.
The city first installed the cameras at three intersections back in 2005. Since then, the number of tickets generated has declined.
The council ordered the cameras turned off back in March. Now, a new report shows there were fewer accidents at those intersections in the six months after the cameras were turned off than in the six months before they went dark.
Escondido, El Cajon and the city of San Diego ended their red-light camera programs this year.
Several cities, including Oceanside and Del Mar, still operate them, however.
The cities of Imperial beach, La Mesa, National City and Santee never signed contracts to operate red-light cameras in their cities.
A state law in 2008 required cities to pay a flat fee for the camera contracts, rather than taking a cut from the fines levied.