Palm Beach County approves red-light cameras

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Palm Beach County  Commissioners paved the way for up to 20 new red light cameras at busy intersections within the county.

The cameras snap a picture of red light runners and then, the fine is mailed to the driver.

The plan was unanimously approved at Tuesday's commissioners meeting.

The county engineer says they'll all be placed at intersections in unincorporated areas.

To some, installing the cameras makes perfect sense.

Jerry Williams said, "I don't personally have a problem with it because if you don't run a red light, you won't have no ticket."

Angie Howard of Boca Raton said, "I think it's fair. If you run a red light you should get in trouble for it. There's not enough cops so yeah, it's fair."

Now that the plan is approved, the county will hire a private company to install the cameras.

It comes at no cost to county taxpayers but the private company gets a cut of every ticket issued to red light runners.

The county won't say how much it expects to collect from tickets but it could be in the millions per year.

Some say the cameras take away from drivers' rights.

Sharon Waite of Loxahatchee said, "They send you everything by mail and they expect you to respond by mail. They don't want to be bothered with you. There won't be any magistrates, there won't be anything. How do you fight something like that?"'

But the county says the red light cameras are within state guidelines.

Palm Beach County Engineer George Webb said, "Red light cameras have been used throughout the country like this for traffic enforcement, so we don't have a strong feeling that they're going to have a finding in Florida that we're that much different that it's going to be unconstitutional. But with the law, you never know." 

Webb said the first cameras will be installed at the intersection of Powerline Road and Palmetto Park,  just outside of Boca Raton.

Those are expected to be up by October.

The county doesn't have a timetable for the rest.

County commissioners still haven't finalized which private company will install the cameras.

Webb said that's expected to be finalized in two weeks.

The fine for getting caught running a red light with these new cameras will be $158.