Red light camera programs, revenue shrinking around Florida

INVESTIGATES REPORT ON THE STATE’S RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2010, DRIVERS IN FLORIDA HAVE PAID NEARLY $1.3 BILLION IN FINES FOR MORE THAN 8 MILLION RED LIGHT CAMERA VIOLATIONS. TONIGHT, WESH TWO NEWS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GREG FOX SHOWS US WHERE THE MONEY GOES AND WHY THAT FUNDING IS STARTING TO DRY UP. ORANGE COUNTY, INCLUDING SIX OF ITS CITIES, HAVE 136 RED LIGHT CAMERA LOCATIONS. ONE FOURTH OF THE CAMERAS ACROSS THE STATE. THEY CAPTURE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF PEOPLE RUNNING RED LIGHTS AND THEIR LICENSE TAGS TO SEND $158 NOTICES OF VIOLATION TO REGISTERED OWNERS. IF YOU WANT TO WATCH THE VIDEO, WE CAN DO IT. STANDING HERE NOW. AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A HEARING, WE’RE JUST GOING TO ALREADY HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO SO YOU CAN CHALLENGE THE FINE IN COURT AND RISK PAYING MORE. IF YOU LOSE. MICHAEL COLEMAN LEARNED HE COULD AVOID POINTS ON HIS LICENSE IF HE JUST PAID IT, AND HE DID. CALLING IT A GOOD LESSON. YOU CAN EITHER ALSO DRIVE, MAKE SURE THEY’RE DRIVING BETTER TO WHERE THEY’RE NOT CROSSING RED LIGHT CAMERAS. SINCE THE RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED IN JULY 2010, THE STATE HAS COLLECTED. $670 MILLION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 606 MILLION. A STAGGERING. $1.28 BILLION. HERE’S WHERE THE STATE MONEY IS GONE $565 MILLION TO GENERAL REVENUE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS 81 MILLION TO 22. LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTERS AND $24 MILLION TO THE MIAMI CENTER TO CURE PARALYSIS AFTER PAYING RED LIGHT CAMERA VENDORS, CITIES AND COUNTIES USE WHAT’S LEFT TO FUND ROAD AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. ORANGE COUNTY SAYS IT’S ABOUT $3 MILLION A YEAR. WE WILL NEVER KNOW HOW MANY LIVES THESE CAMERAS HAVE SAVED. MELISSA WANDELL FOUGHT FOR THE RED LIGHT CAMERA LAW NAMED FOR HER HUSBAND, MARK. HE WAS KILLED IN A RED LIGHT RUNNING CRASH IN 2003. SHE BELIEVES THE PROGRAM IS PREVENTING RED LIGHT RUNNING AND GENERATING MONEY TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND CARE FOR VICTIMS OF COLLISIONS. WE DON’T WANT MORE PEOPLE TO DIE. WE DON’T WANT MORE PEOPLE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. UM, WE NEED TO DRIVE DOWN HEARTACHE OUT ON OUR ROADWAYS. BUT NOT EVERY CITY AND COUNTY THAT STARTED OUT WITH RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAMS HAS STUCK WITH THEM IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, A DOZEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE TAKEN THESE CAMERAS OFF THE POLLS. SOME HAVE CITED DRIVER COMPLAINTS OF INCONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT, OR THAT THE MONEY LEFT AFTER PAYING VENDORS LEAVES LITTLE TO INVEST IN TRAFFIC SAFETY. A WESH TWO INVESTIGATES REVIEW OF STATE RECORDS SHOWS. AT ITS PEAK IN 2014, THE STATE HAD 82 RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAM TIMES. THIS YEAR, IT’S DOWN TO 39, A DROP OF 52%, AND REVENUE IS DECLINING. IN 2018, RED LIGHT CAMERA REVENUE TOPPED $122 MILLION. LAST YEAR, IT WAS $95 MILLION, DOWN 22%. BUT ORLANDO AND ORANGE COUNTY THE TWO LARGEST LOCAL RED LIGHT CAMERA PROGRAMS, SAY THE CAMERAS ARE STAYING. THE CAMERA PROGRAM IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE, RAY RODRIGUEZ SAYS. ORLANDO MAY EXPAND ITS PROGRAM, AND HE SAYS DRIVER COMPLAINTS HAVE DECLINED WELL BEFORE. IT WAS A LOT MORE HOSTILE. NOW PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PART OF TRANSPARENCY. GERALD MARKS TELLS US ORANGE COUNTY IS CONSIDERING ADDING CAMERAS AS PART OF THE EVALUATION. WE’LL LOOK AND SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS TELL US, AND IF SO, WE’LL TAKE IT TO OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO TO SEE IN WHICH DIRECTION THEY WANT TO MOVE WITH THAT. FOR NOW, ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES AND SEVEN LOCAL CITIES ARE USING THESE CAMERAS TO KEEP EYES ON RED LIGHT RUNNERS. GREG FOX WESH TWO NEWS, ORANGE COUNTY, INCLUDING SIX OF ITS CITIES, HAVE 136 RED LIGHT CAMERA LOCATIONS AND ONE FOURTH OF THE CAMERAS ACROSS THE STATE. THEY CAPTURE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS OF PEOPLE RUNNING RED LIGHTS AND THEIR LICENSE TAGS TO SEND $158 NOTICES OF VIOLATION TO REGISTERED OWNERS. YOU CAN CHALLENGE THE FINE IN COURT AND RISK PAYING MORE IF YOU LOSE. MICHAEL KOMAN LEARNED HE COULD AVOID POINTS ON HIS LICENSE IF HE JUST PAID IT AND DID, CALLING IT A GOOD, GOOD LESSON. PEOPLE NEED TO ALSO DRIVE, MAKE SURE THEY ARE DRIVING BETTER TO WHERE THEY ARE NOT CROSSING RED LIGHT CAMERAS. SINCE THE RED LIGHT CAMERA LAUNCHED PROGRAM BACK IN JULY 2010, TH

A WESH 2 investigation reveals Florida’s red light camera enforcement program is shrinking, and so is the revenue that funds safety, medical treatment and recovery for victims of red light running crashes. Orange County, including six of its cities (Orlando, Belle Isle, Maitland, Winter Park, Ocoee and Edgewood), have 136 red light camera locations, also called approaches. That’s one fourth of the 476 cameras across the state.They capture videos and photos of people running red lights, and their license tags to send $158 "Notices of Violation" to registered owners. You can challenge the fine in court, and risk paying more, potentially a $262 fine plus court costs if you lose.Michael Comen, who talked with WESH 2 Investigates after his court hearing in Orange County, learned he could avoid points on his license if he just paid the $158, and he did, calling it a good lesson.“People need to also drive, make sure they're driving better to where they are not crossing red light cameras,” Comen said. Since the red light camera program was launched in July 2010, and through February of this year, the state has collected $670 million and local governments have collected $606 million, a staggering $1.28 billion in total. Here's where the state money has gone:$565 million to general revenue for transportation projects$81 million to 22 level one trauma centers like Orlando Health’s main hospital in Orlando$24 million to the Miami Center To Cure ParalysisAfter paying red light camera vendors, cities and counties use what's left to fund road and pedestrian safety improvements. Orange County says it's about $3 million a year. Orlando says it’s collected and reinvested about $4.1 million on 65 road and pedestrian safety projects since 2017. “We will never know how many lives these cameras have saved,” said Melissa Wandall, a red light camera program supporter and traffic safety advocate. She fought for the red light camera law, named for her late husband, Mark. He was a passenger in a vehicle struck by a red light runner in 2003 in Bradenton. Wandall believes the program is preventing red light running and generating money to improve safety and care for victims of collisions.“We don’t want more people to die. We don't want more people to be seriously injured. We need to drive down heartache on our roadways,” Wandall said. But not all cities and counties who've tried red light cameras have kept them. Just in Central Florida, a dozen local governments that once used them, have taken the cameras off of the poles at intersections. Some have cited driver complaints of inconsistent enforcement, or that the money left after paying vendors leaves little to invest in traffic safety. A WESH 2 Investigates review of state records shows that, at its peak in 2014, the state had 82 red light camera programs. This year, it's down to 39 — a drop of 52%.And revenue is declining. In 2018, red light camera revenue topped $122 million. Last year, it was $95 million — down 22%.However, Orlando and Orange County, the two largest local red light camera programs, say the cameras are staying.“The camera program is not going anywhere,” Orlando’s program manager Ray Rodriguez said.Rodriguez says Orlando may expand its program, and he says driver complaints have declined.“Where before, it was a lot more hostile, now people understand, 'Hey, you know what, this is something that is part of transparency,'” Rodriguez said. Jerald Marks runs Orange County’s program and tells WESH 2 the county is considering adding cameras when it renews its red light camera vendor contract with Virra Mobility (formerly American Traffic Solutions) next March.“As part of the evaluation, we'll see what the numbers tell us and if so we'll take it to our Board of County Commissioners to see what direction they want to move with that,” Marks said. For now, Orange and Osceola counties and seven local cities (including Kissimmee) are using the cameras to keep eyes on red light runners.READ ALSO: Are red light camera programs saving lives? Officials and data disagree

ORLANDO, Fla. —

Orange County, including six of its cities (Orlando, Belle Isle, Maitland, Winter Park, Ocoee and Edgewood), have 136 red light camera locations, also called approaches. That’s one fourth of the 476 cameras across the state.

They capture videos and photos of people running red lights, and their license tags to send $158 "Notices of Violation" to registered owners.

You can challenge the fine in court, and risk paying more, potentially a $262 fine plus court costs if you lose.

Michael Comen, who talked with WESH 2 Investigates after his court hearing in Orange County, learned he could avoid points on his license if he just paid the $158, and he did, calling it a good lesson.

“People need to also drive, make sure they're driving better to where they are not crossing red light cameras,” Comen said.

Since the red light camera program was launched in July 2010, and through February of this year, the state has collected $670 million and local governments have collected $606 million, a staggering $1.28 billion in total.

Here's where the state money has gone:

$565 million to general revenue for transportation projects
$81 million to 22 level one trauma centers like Orlando Health’s main hospital in Orlando
$24 million to the Miami Center To Cure Paralysis

After paying red light camera vendors, cities and counties use what's left to fund road and pedestrian safety improvements. Orange County says it's about $3 million a year. Orlando says it’s collected and reinvested about $4.1 million on 65 road and pedestrian safety projects since 2017.

“We will never know how many lives these cameras have saved,” said Melissa Wandall, a red light camera program supporter and traffic safety advocate.

She fought for the red light camera law, named for her late husband, Mark. He was a passenger in a vehicle struck by a red light runner in 2003 in Bradenton. Wandall believes the program is preventing red light running and generating money to improve safety and care for victims of collisions.

“We don’t want more people to die. We don't want more people to be seriously injured. We need to drive down heartache on our roadways,” Wandall said.

But not all cities and counties who've tried red light cameras have kept them. Just in Central Florida, a dozen local governments that once used them, have taken the cameras off of the poles at intersections.

Some have cited driver complaints of inconsistent enforcement, or that the money left after paying vendors leaves little to invest in traffic safety.

A WESH 2 Investigates review of state records shows that, at its peak in 2014, the state had 82 red light camera programs. This year, it's down to 39 — a drop of 52%.

And revenue is declining. In 2018, red light camera revenue topped $122 million. Last year, it was $95 million — down 22%.

However, Orlando and Orange County, the two largest local red light camera programs, say the cameras are staying.

“The camera program is not going anywhere,” Orlando’s program manager Ray Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez says Orlando may expand its program, and he says driver complaints have declined.

“Where before, it was a lot more hostile, now people understand, 'Hey, you know what, this is something that is part of transparency,'” Rodriguez said.

Jerald Marks runs Orange County’s program and tells WESH 2 the county is considering adding cameras when it renews its red light camera vendor contract with Virra Mobility (formerly American Traffic Solutions) next March.

“As part of the evaluation, we'll see what the numbers tell us and if so we'll take it to our Board of County Commissioners to see what direction they want to move with that,” Marks said.

For now, Orange and Osceola counties and seven local cities (including Kissimmee) are using the cameras to keep eyes on red light runners.

Red light camera programs, revenue shrinking around Florida

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