Red light cameras are something of a rare site in San Diego these days, but one local city could spend tens of thousands of dollars to keep its cameras rolling for the next five years.
Solana Beach has three red light cameras along Lomas Santa Fe Drive -- one at Highway 101 and two others at Solana Hills Drive, near a mall and elementary school.
The city's contract with Redflex Traffic System needs to be renewed to keep them running, and city staff is recommending a five year extension, at about $86,000 a year.
"Intersections equipped with red light cameras decrease red light running and have also been shown to carry over to nearby intersections that are not equipped with red light cameras," the report says.
Robert Lindsey, who crossed Lomas Santa Fe at 101 on Thursday, said he supports the extension.
"It's hugely busy," he said. "It takes quite a while to get from one side over to the other side."
But other cities have gotten rid of the cameras. In 2013, then-San Diego mayor Bob Filner ordered the removal of the cameras, saying they cause rear-end collisions, don't make money, anger drivers and are bad for tourism.
"Welcome to San Diego, here's a $500 fine," Filner said at the time. "I don't think that's a way to tell visitors thank you for coming to San Diego."
Solana Beach isn't the only county city with the red light cameras. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety maintains a list of those with red light cameras, including Encinitas:
- California
- Arleta
- Bakersfield
- Beverly Hills
- Capitola
- Cathedral City
- Citrus Heights
- Commerce
- Covina
- Culver City
- Daly City
- Del Mar
- Elk Grove
- Encinitas
- Fremont
- Fullerton
- Garden Grove
- Hawthorne
- Highland
- Los Alamitos
- Los Angeles County
- Lynwood
- Manteca
- Menlo Park
- Millbrae
- Modesto
- Montebello
- MRCA park roads
- Napa
- Newark
- Oxnard
- Rancho Cordova
- Redding
- Sacramento City
- Sacramento County
- San Bernardino County
- San Francisco
- San Leandro
- San Mateo
- Santa Monica Mountain Park stop signs
- Solana Beach
- Ventura
- West Hollywood
