Orlando Red Light Cameras, expanding slowly

Right now Orlando has 22 cameras at 14 intersections and they had hoped to put the damn things everywhere. However they are slowing their roll as far as new installations due to a new law. What about the new law made them slow down? Was it that they were limited to how to enforce the tickets, or maybe making it impossible to enforce the fines like in California? Nope, its that they get less money for the tickets…

…and that means they generate less revenue. Red light cameras have never been about saving lives it has been about making dough for those who collect the fines.

Back in 2008 when Orlando set up their red light cameras the violations were treated like code infractions and the city got all the money. In 2010 Florida passed a law that changes how the money is split. Now out of the $158 ticket the state gets $80, $3 goes to trauma centers and the city gets only $75.

The city has to pay the red light camera operator out of their $75. The company that Orlando contracts with gets $4,200 per camera each month. Now with less cash coming in Orlando officials are saying that they need to get the cameras in places with high red light violations.

Orlando spokeswoman Heather Fagan said

“If they’re not having X amount of incidents, it’s not going to generate much revenue,”.

I think she then realized what she said and she followed up with, “This has never been about money — it’s about public safety — but at the same time, you have to be careful about how much these cameras are costing you.”

Now the city has access to put cameras on state roads but they are reluctant to put them up since they don’t get enough money to foot the bill to put them up.

I personally think all of these cameras should be ruled illegal, as it looks like it is heading in California. Unfortunately the cameras generate way too much revenue and in these times the states would ignore the law to make money.

Here is a map that shows all of the red light camera location in Central Florida right now. Click here to see the list of all the locations.

Source: Orlando Sentinel