City to study ticket cameras

They’ve become a fixture in many California cities — the automated red light cameras that send tickets straight to violators using photos, video and DMV data. And while Huntington Beach has none yet, the City Council moved a step closer to doing so at a study session this week.

Leading a joint presentation by police and traffic engineers, police Capt. Chuck Thomas told council members red light cameras were a proven way to reduce accidents at the city’s worst intersections. Council members said they were convinced, ultimately telling staff to start talking to vendors about researching the specifics.

Only intersections where everything else has been tried would get cameras, Thomas said.

Each intersection would need its own study to prove cameras were necessary, he said. Those tend to be the largest and busiest in the city, like Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue, he added.

“It is very difficult to safely monitor Beach and Edinger,” he said. “To see somebody across the intersection run a red light and — even on a motorcycle — go after them, it’s difficult and pretty dangerous.”

Other possible intersections include Beach Boulevard and Warner Avenue, Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue, Warner Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, and a few others along Goldenwest Street, Warner Avenue and Edinger Avenue, staff said.

Police Chief Ken Small said any revenue should be earmarked for traffic safety.

“Remember, the goal is to improve traffic safety,” he said. “If out of that whole process, it caused you to think before you went through a light, that’s a success whether you get issued a ticket or not.”

A few council members said they came into the meeting worried about the “Big Brother” implications of traffic cameras, but were convinced by the presentation.

“People don’t like bigger government,” Councilman Joe Carchio said. “But if this can save lives, we should really have an open mind.”

Cameras are still a long way from a reality. Once staff talk to vendors, they still need to study the issue and have the council approve a contract, as well as securing later approval on specific intersections from several agencies.