Ban Red-Light and Speed Cameras: Good or Bad Idea?

Do you love or hate speed and red-light cameras in the District?

A U.S. freshman lawmaker, Republican Rep. Kerry Bentivolio of Michigan, is drafting a bill that would ban or restrict the use of these cameras specifically in Washington, D.C. 

Bentivolio’s office has been circulating the draft, according to the Washington Post, but its final details have not been worked out yet.

D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton issued a news release saying it’s a local matter, and federal lawmakers should stay out of D.C. business.

“Traffic laws here and everywhere else in the U.S. are local safety matters…written by local elected officials, not members of Congress who are unaccountable to D.C. residents,” she said.

The nation’s capital enjoyed more than $84 million in revenue from the speed and red-light cameras in fiscal 2012, according to the Post report. About $13 million came from just the red-light cameras, according to AAA.

Do you think they make the streets safer, or are they just a way to fatten city coffers?

Back in March here in Fairfax County, the County Board of Supervisors directed staff to examine costs and benefits of a launching another red light camera program, which reduced violations by 45 percent during its first run a decade ago. Read more here.