Red light cameras have already gone dark in these Tarrant County cities
Red light cameras are going dark across Texas.
Since Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law a bill banning the cameras on Saturday, cities ranging from Fort Worth to Austin have turned off the cameras and abandoned efforts to collect fines for them.
“Just like a long stack of dominoes, one by one, cities across Texas are ending their red-light camera programs,” said Kelly Canon, an Arlington woman who successfully led an effort to remove the cameras from her city three years ago. “What’s next? We hope to take the fight national.
“Stay tuned!”
Here’s a look at what’s happening in some North Texas cities:
Bedford: The cameras are off and fines will no longer be collected. “The city of Bedford will cease all red light camera activity immediately,” Jeff Florey, a city spokesman, told the Star-Telegram. “Outstanding balances will not be collected and no more camera tickets will be distributed.”
Fort Worth: The cameras are off and collection efforts have ceased, Susan Alanis, an assistant city manager, wrote in an email. The city’s red light camera office is expected to close soon.
Grand Prairie: The cameras are off. “Although the physical red light cameras are temporarily still in place in Grand Prairie, they are not active and no violations will be issued after May 31, 2019,” according to a police department statement posted on Facebook.
Haltom City: The cameras are off. The police department ended its contract with Redflex Traffic Solutions that was scheduled to run through 2027. Police Chief Cody Phillips determined that no tickets would be issued after May 24. “No refunds will be issued for violations already paid and no further hearings will be scheduled or heard for outstanding violations,” according to a statement from the police department.
North Richland Hills: The cameras are off. “The physical cameras are still in place, but are no longer on,” according to a police department statement posted on Facebook. The cameras, operated by Redflex, should be removed in the next three months. “No refunds will be issued on violations already paid and we have ceased review of any existing violations as well,” according to the statement. “No further hearings will be scheduled.” The police department does note that if someone has questions about unpaid tickets, they should call the city.
Southlake: The cameras are off. The city won’t process payments for red light camera tickets, no matter when the ticket was issued, and there will no longer be administrative hearings regarding these violations, according to a statement from the Southlake Police Department.
Watauga: The cameras were turned off after the governor signed the bill into law. And there will no longer be any administrative hearings regarding those tickets, said Lt. Jason Babcock, a spokesman with the police department.
A provision in the law allows cameras to keep running if a city’s contract didn’t include an out clause.
That’s why officials in cities such as Leon Valley and Humble say they can keep running the cameras until their contracts expire, which is 2038 and 2024.
At the same time, an amendment to the bill prevents county and state officials from refusing to register a vehicle because the owner has unpaid red light camera tickets.
Cities such as Arlington and Houston already removed the cameras from their communities.
This story was originally published June 4, 2019 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Red light cameras have already gone dark in these Tarrant County cities."
