Refunds for red-light woes get green light

Deepa Bharath

County officials are still processing refunds for 576 motorists who

have received $306 tickets because of a faulty red-light camera on

Newport Boulevard, police officials said on Tuesday.

Officials discovered about four months ago that between Oct. 3,

2003 and Feb. 11, 2004, the yellow light phase at the traffic signal

at northbound Newport Boulevard at 17th Street was shorter than

mandated based on the posted speed limit. That caused drivers

crossing the intersection to be photographed by the red-light cameras

installed at the intersection to catch violators.

Those drivers also received $306 fines made worse by having to

attend traffic school.

The city is doing its best to alleviate their pain, Costa Mesa

Police Lt. Tom Curtis said.

“The city is not cutting the refund checks,” he said. “They’re

coming from the county. So we don’t know exactly when they’ll be in

people’s mailboxes. But we know they’re being processed right now.”

The city’s website will also soon have a link to the refund

program so people can track their cases and get updates, Curtis said.

Meanwhile, the city has established a hotline, which people can

call and get information, he said.

“We were getting quite a few calls in the beginning,” Curtis said.

“But now, they’ve been tapering off.”

The yellow-light phase at that intersection had erroneously been

set at 3.6 seconds instead of the state-required minimum -- 4.3

seconds. There were 579 citations issued at that intersection during

the four months, officials said.

Those who received the tickets would first receive a letter from

the city and then a check from the county. The city would also notify

the Department of Motor Vehicles about the citation being dismissed.

Those who have already attended traffic school will regain their

eligibility to attend traffic school. The refund check will also

include money spent on traffic school, officials said.

Red-light camera enforcement at the intersection in question

resumed on March 18, after the error was corrected, Costa Mesa Police

Sgt. Dave Andersen said.

The mistake was brought to the attention of police officers by a

person accused of running the red light, he said.

“The Department of Transportation and Caltrans were involved in

the process as well,” Andersen said.

All other intersections in Costa Mesa with the red-light cameras

have been inspected and cleared, he said.

“We’ve had a lot of success with our red-light camera program,”

Andersen said. “Once we iron out these technical glitches, we expect

it to do even better.”

Those seeking information about the refunds can call (714)

754-4995. The city’s website is https://www.ci.costa-mesa.ca.us.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at [email protected].