The Austin City Council gave the greenlight to red light cameras on Thursday.
Up to 15 cameras will be installed at selected intersections around the city in about three months. Locations have not been released.
Council members voted to establish the Traffic Safety Fund, which will provide the resources for the program.
State law requires half the revenue be sent to a state trauma care fund. The Traffic Safety Fund will be used for pedestrian safety programs, public safety programs, intersection improvements and traffic enforcement.
The city's cost for implementation of the camera program is nearly $900,000. Fines collected as a result of the cameras will then help pay for the system.
The pilot program was completed last week, and information from that gave city council the go-ahead to install the cameras.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Red light cameras
Austin is following the lead of other Texas cities and installing red light cameras.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
The cameras will take a picture of violators' license plates, who will receive a $75 ticket in the mail. A $25 late fee will be charged for each violation not paid within 30 days.
The cameras could cost the city almost $16 million over the next 15 years, but the city expects to make $1.3 million per year in revenue.
"I would like it if we didn't get a penny because everyone is
stopping at red lights. The real point here is to make sure people
are driving safely and they don't hurt themselves and others because they ran a red light," city council member Jennifer Kim said.
Two cameras have been working as part of a pilot
program near downtown. The camera at MLK Boulevard and Interstate 35 busted 2,233 people running the light in a little more than a month.
