PHOENIX — Will the flash of the red-light cameras in Phoenix be activated again?
The Operation Safe Roads team circled back with the city of Phoenix Street Transportation Department and Mayor Kate Gallego's office about red-light cameras in the city following the death of a Phoenix police officer who was believed to have been hit by a driver who ran a red light.
In January of 2020, Mayor Kate Gallego had called a Work Study Session to discuss "a proposed methodology to evaluate, identify, and select locations for red-light cameras, and the current procurement of a new contract."
According to city officials, there are 1,150 signalized intersections in Phoenix. Each year, these intersections saw an average of 1,520 red-light running crashes. Those crashes took the lives of nearly 90 people per year on average.
The Phoenix City Council voted 5 - 4 back in November of 2019 to allow the contract with Redflex, who owns and operates red-light cameras at 12 intersections, to expire. The measure would have also added $800,000 to the more-than-$4-million current contract. It would have also extended the program until the end of this year.
The opposition came from council members who claimed it was a money grab. Some said they didn't have enough information to vote properly.
Here were the locations of the 12 photo radar cameras:
- 35th Avenue & Cactus Road
- 35th Avenue & Glendale Avenue
- 16th Street & Jefferson Street
- Tatum Boulevard & Thunderbird Road
- 67th Avenue & McDowell Road
- Central Avenue & McDowell Road
- 53rd Avenue & Indian School Road
- 50th Street & Ray Road
- 7th Street & Bell Road
- 12th Street & Camelback Road
- 35th Avenue & McDowell Road
- 24th Street & Thomas Road
According to city officials, these cameras are no longer operating and no more conversations are currently scheduled to bring the red light camera program back.
RELATED: Would extending the yellow light at traffic signals curb red-light running?
The most recent data from AAA shows Arizona still tops every other state in the country when it comes to red light crashes.
Data from the city of Phoenix shows the number of crashes at certain intersections between 2016 and 2018:
Mayor Gallego's office says a discussion on red light cameras will be added to a subcommittee agenda this fall.
Have a road issue or question for Operation Safe Roads? Call 833-AZ-ROADS or email roads@abc15.com.