Regina to look at having red light cameras issue tickets for rolling right turns

A report heading to city council on Wednesday could see Reginaexpand its red light camera program to include tickets for rolling right turns at red lights.

The city has red light cameras at four intersections: Albert Streetand Saskatchewan Drive, Lewvan Driveand Dewdney Avenue, Albert Streetand Parliament Avenue, and Saskatchewan Driveand Albert Street.

The program began in 1999 and, after receiving multiple upgrades throughout the years, is now using adigital system which was installed in 2018and started issuing ticketsin early 2019.

After three years of data collection and analysis, the conclusion from SGI and city administration is that the system provides a net benefit to the public by preventing severe collisions and reducing collisions in general.

Thereis opposition to the red light cameras from a small but vocal contingent of people in the city, according to the report. However, city administration believes a quiet majority of Regina's population are either supportive of or ambivalent on the issue.

The report heading to city council recommends taking the following steps:

• Continuing the program at the four intersections where red light cameras are currently installed.
• Expanding the program to include ticketing of all red-light violations, including for rollingright turns.
• Expanding the program to additional, yet-to-be determined locations.
• Advocatingfor the provincial government to change the Traffic Safety Act to allow municipalities to use red light cameras to issue tickets for "speeding on green." That'swhen vehicles accelerate in an attempt to get though an intersection in order to avoid a red light ticket.

The program as it currently operates costs approximately $370,000 a year.

That includes $316,000 for the lease of the cameras along withoperating and maintenance costs, and$54,000 to fund a traffic safety clerk with the Regina Police Service.

The report makes it clear theprogram doesn't break even, withyearly average revenue between 2019 and 2021 of $129,000 in fines.

That revenue is used to offset the cost of the program, with the rest covered through feesfrom the province's automated speed enforcement fund at a yearly average of$241,000.

Weighing benefit

Councillors are being asked to weigh several factors.

Any new cameras are expected to have operating costs and revenues similartoexisting cameras, resulting in anet cost of $43,750 per location per year, according to the report.

City administration says any new fines received due torolling right turns will be used to offset the cost of the program. However, administration does not believe those fines will generate significantly more revenue.

Under the Traffic Safety Act, tickets issued for violating rules aroundred lights are $180, with a surcharge of $50, for a total fine of $230.

The city says it has issued a total of 3,818 red light violation tickets since2019.

Wednesday's city council meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CST.