Red light camera citations issued in Colorado Springs brings in nearly $80,000 in two months
The Red Light Camera program in Colorado Springs has been up and running since May, now we are learning just how many citations were issued and if drivers are paying.
When red light cameras were re-introduced to the city there was some controversy, but the public seems to be adjusting saying they are necessary.
The program has always been about reducing crashes and making our roads safer, but we can’t ignore just how much money these cameras are bringing in.
Colorado Springs officials released the statistics to KRDO for both May and June. In those two months, 1,449 citations were given out to red-light runners and out those 1,039 were paid. That’s about 70 percent.
With each citation being a $75 fine, that adds up to $77,925 in just two months. The money from the citations will be used to pay for the program and the rest will go to the City’s general fund. KRDO reached out to Colorado Springs Police Department to find out how much the program costs a year and have yet to hear back.
As for the remaining 30 percent who haven’t paid, Judge Hayden Kane says those drivers could still be in the process of paying the citation or disputing it. He tells us only one person has gone to trial over the citation and says they ended up paying the fine.
However, we wanted to know what happens to those who simply refuse to pay?
“CSPD is going to send out a first notice, second notice, and a final notice,” Kane says. However, if the driver still refuses, Kane says, “Ultimately they get served, if they don’t show up at that time a warrant will be issued for their arrest.”
Turning that $75 fine into a much bigger problem “Now you’ve turned that problem into a $125 problem,” Kane says, “if you fail to show up for the summons there are warrant costs involved with that so now you are subject to even more financial penalties.”
As for the success of the cameras from a safety standpoint, Judge Kane says we should give it at least a year before passing judgment.
KRDO
