Red Light Enforcement Program to Begin with 30-day Grace Period
RED LIGHT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM TO BEGIN WITH 30-DAY GRACE PERIOD
In an effort to reduce collisions and make City streets safer, Commerce began its new red light photo enforcement program on November 7, 2007. Cameras and violation sensors will monitor four of the city’s highest risk intersection approaches, starting with the intersections of Telegraph Road/Atlantic Boulevard and Eastern Avenue/Slauson Avenue. The additional two intersections of Slauson Avenue/Gage Avenue and Telegraph Road/Garfield Avenue will follow in December.
Sergeant Pam Brookwell, who heads up the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station’s Traffic Enforcement unit, stated, “Photo enforcement has a greater deterrent effect if drivers are aware it’s out there. It is important that all Commerce drivers know we are using photo enforcement and that they have time to learn about this new safety program. Commerce will start using the red light cameras on November 7th, but for the first thirty days, we will issue only Warning Notices. The Notices will explain that beginning December 7th, actual Citations will be sent to violators, who will then be responsible for paying the $381.00 fine listed on the Citation.”
City Officials are committed to improving the safety of city streets. In an effort to be as fair as possible with this new program, they have endorsed the thirty-day grace period, as a way for residents to get used to the new cameras. Their overall hope is that local drivers who live, work, or travel through Commerce will respond by driving within the law to protect themselves and others. The program is seen by City Officials as an important step to improve the safety and flow of traffic on Commerce streets.
Commerce’s red light enforcement program will be administered by Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc., an Arizona-based provider of traffic safety photo enforcement. Redflex is contracted to provide similar successful programs in Arizona, California, Colorado, North Carolina, Ohio and Oregon.