Two years in a row, showdowns in state government have centered on the use of red-light or photo-radar speed cameras to police traffic, which rakes in serious money in the process. And two years in a row, Gov. John Hickenlooper, Denver’s former mayor, has used his veto pen to protect cities’ ability to use the devices.
Now that the dust has cleared, Denver is getting ready to ink a new five-year contract with its photo-enforcement vendor that could lead to expansions of the programs that catch red-light runners and speeders in the act.
The Denver Police Department says any expansion probably would be measured and isn’t yet assured. DPD, which has red-light cameras at four central Denver intersections and sends out up to four photo-radar speed vans each shift, doesn’t appear to aspire to match cities such as Chicago or Washington, which have installed cameras at dozens and dozens of intersections.
But some City Council members are eager to see more cameras installed at crash-prone intersections or more photo-radar units available for setup along speeding-prone neighborhood streets.
The red-light tickets cost $40 for stopping past the white line and $75 for blowing through the light, while speeding costs $40 or $80 (if it occurs in a school or construction zone).
Read more from our partners at the Denver Post here.
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