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Pulling the plug on red light cameras
Posted: 10.27.2011 at 8:51 PM
Updated: 10.28.2011 at 5:35 AM
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The red light camera program in Colorado Springs will not be renewed.  / FOX21: Sade Malloy
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It's official, at the end of October running a red light will no longer be caught on camera.

The contract for the photo red light enforcement program in Colorado Springs will not be renewed when it expires Oct. 31. 

This decision will free up 2.5 full-time police department employees, who will be reassigned to other priority functions.

"I'm pretty happy, it'll just take the burden off a lot of people to have that in the back of their mind where they doubt themselves, if they can make it across or not," Javier Ortiz, a Colorado Springs driver, said.

More on the red light cameras
Proposal to end program 
Program called a success 
Grace period ends for cameras 
Red light cameras installed 
Council okays cameras in city 

The program started fewer than 14 months ago with cameras installed at intersections city officials deemed to be dangerous.

The cameras are currently installed at the following intersections:

Platte Avenue & Murray Boulevard
Platte Avenue & Circle Drive
Nevada Avenue & Bijou Street
Oro Blanco Drive & Barnes Road

According to the city, the program did not meet safety expectations.

One location had a 22 percent increase in violations, but a report from June showed a 47 percent drop in red light runners at Platte and Murray.

"A review of the data up to this point does not clearly show if there is an impact on dangerous front-to-side collisions or rear-end collisions at those intersections," Interim Police Chief Pete Carey said in a written statement. 

Ending the program will put a stop to the the $75 fine, which, according to data from the summer, totaled about $100,000, money that went to pay the vendor and our city's general fund.

While the city had hopes of making a significant change in safety, a year of conflicting data has them pulling the plug.

"Whatever they want to do that's best for the city, I think they should do it," Billie Eastham, a Colorado Springs driver, said.

The photo speed enforcement program, which features a mobile speed van will continue.

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