D.C.
D.C. Council approves 88 more traffic cameras
Drive through the District and you know traffic cameras can get you anywhere. Now D.C. leaders have passed a budget that will add 88 more traffic cameras.
And that has drivers crying foul.
Photo enforcement in D.C. has meant getting tickets for running red lights and for speeding. Now that's not all.
"Making us pay more for being a little too far in the intersection," says Elliot Abrams a District resident.
New high tech cameras coming on line get you for blocking the crosswalk or speeding through a green or yellow light.
"This really is about public safety and frankly, if we're serious about Sustainable D.C , we're going to find ways to make pedestrians and bicycles feel comfortable in the city," says Mayor Vincent Gray.
"They're paying lip service to traffic safety; this is really about revenue," says John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic.
D.C. now has 78 traditional cameras generating around $55 million per year. Now the city's adding 88 new cameras, expecting to generate another $25 million per year. So, a total of 166 cameras and $80 million.
"An unnecessary tax," says Jake Hanlon, a Maryland resident. "I don't think it's saving anybody's lives."
The mayor noted today that despite council complaints all 12 of them voted for the budget.
And for those who might want to cut the dollar amount of fines?
"Let me underscore, this is not about revenue, but revenue is a factor because our budget is balanced on the basis of that," Gray says.
So, get ready to pay for a lot more safety in D.C.
Or slow down and don't block the box.
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