Red-light cameras could be coming to McAllen
McALLEN — Cameras designed to catch drivers running red lights could soon be in place at McAllen’s busiest intersections.
The McAllen Police Department is petitioning the City Commission to invest between $600,000 and $1.2 million a year on a surveillance system that would place motion-sensitive cameras on traffic signals at 10 to 20 intersections across the city.
Commissioners are expected to consider the request at their next meeting Monday.
“It’s been done in other cities, and hopefully the city commissioners will think it’s a good idea,” said police Chief Victor Rodriguez.
“It’s one more tool, and we need all the help we can get to bring compliance up with the laws in place. The end goal is to reduce the number of accidents.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what kind of revenue the city could gain if the cameras were installed. But McAllen wouldn’t be the first Rio Grande Valley city to employ such technology.
Similar cameras were installed in Harlingen in February at eight intersections, said Harlingen police Capt. Mike Kester. The officer responsible for overseeing the traffic cameras was not available to comment on their effectiveness.
In McAllen, running red lights is so common that complaints find their way into everyday conversation and motorists often pause when signaled to proceed through an intersection.
“Anything that helps cut down on accidents without having to spend more money on police is great,” said Greg Townsend, a McAllen resident presently helping to create the city’s traffic mobility plan.
“It depends on the time of the day and the frustration level, but (incidents of people running red lights) seem to pick up on Friday afternoon and around lunchtime.”
According to Rodriguez, the proposed cameras would capture the offending vehicle’s license plate, not the driver’s face. That would put the responsibility on the vehicle’s owner, who would face a civil penalty of up to $75 but no criminal citation.
Were the City Commission to decide to go ahead and install the traffic cameras, recent legislation passed by the state Senate but still awaiting Gov. Rick Perry’s signature would require them to survey accident rates at the designated intersections first.
“We’re a growing community, and we have a growing number of vehicles on the road,” Rodriguez said.
Cameras at intersections, while useful, would not be a panacea for the problem of red-light violators, he said.
“I wouldn’t say you can go on the road one day and not see someone run a light.”
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James Osborne covers McAllen and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4428.
