More red-light cameras shooting today

Lolita Harper

Political polls are not the only things catching people’s attention

nowadays. Commuters noticed new poles on Newport Boulevard this week,

holding the city’s latest weapon against red light-runners: digital

cameras.

Cameras at the intersections of Newport Boulevard and 17th Street

and 19th Street are active today, marking the third phase of Costa

Mesa’s highly successful red light camera program, officials said.

The first camera was installed at Harbor Boulevard and Adams

Avenue in February and Costa Mesa Police Lt. Carl Schuler said the

results have been “excellent.”

“We’ve been keeping track of the violations and they are working

really well,” he said.

The city has issued about 375 to 400 tickets per month at Harbor

and Adams since installation May 20, Schuler said, but did not begin

collecting revenue for 30 days. At $306 per ticket, Costa Mesa’s

cameras have cost drivers anywhere from $114,750 to $122,400, since

going “online” June 20. Written warnings were issued the first 30

days of the program.

The city only sees a fraction of the revenue, as its contract with

San Diego-based Nestor Traffic Systems calls for a “turnkey” program,

in which the company would install cameras at designated

intersections at no cost, in return for a portion of the fine

resulting from a violation. Nestor would receive 36% of the penalty,

the city would receive 16% and the state and court system would get

the remainder, a staff report showed.

That puts the city’s total in the past three months at about

$19,584. That money and any more raised from the cameras will help

fund drivers’ education programs at local schools, officials said.

Schuler said the cameras on Newport Boulevard were scheduled to

“go online” at midnight Tuesday and the camera at Anton Boulevard is

already up and running.

There is now a total of four cameras in the city poised to catch

red light runners, he said.

“Keep in mind that the program is still new and in its infancy

stages,” Schuler said. “But so far, it’s been great.”

The addition at 19th Street and Newport Boulevard has been highly

anticipated because of the particular dangers that surround the

downtown area and Costa Mesa Freeway entrance. Schuler has described

it as a “very dangerous” intersection because of the possibility of

high-speed broadside accidents, which can cause very serious

injuries.

Cameras were installed at these intersections because they top the

Police Department’s list of the 10 worst intersections in the city.

Officials plan to arm 11 more intersections with the high-tech

cameras that not only catch red-light-runners, but reduce the number

of related accidents because of a special feature that stalls the

opposing green light when a red-light violator is detected by the

camera’s sensors.

Despite the added safety benefits, some residents are still leery

of privacy protections, pointing to controversial cases involving

similar cameras in surrounding counties. Costa Mesa resident Steve

Stafford wanted the city to wait for similar court decisions to be

made before it invests in the program.

“My big thing is there’s already legal challenges and a lot of

questions being asked about privacy issues,” Stafford said.

Arguments such as Stafford’s were raised throughout negotiation of

the program and city legal counsel said they were not an issue.

* LOLITA HARPER writes columns Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and

covers culture and the arts. She may be reached at (949) 574-4275 or

by e-mail at [email protected].