San Diego mayor ends use of red-light cameras at intersections

Following a campaign promise, newly-elected Mayor Bob Filner on Friday announced the end of red-light cameras for traffic enforcement.

The cameras, Filner said, are nothing more than "the San Diego version of a traffic trap" using "robotic technology." In the last five years, 78,113 tickets have been issued because of the San Diego cameras.

"These cameras are history on San Diego city streets," said Filner, as city workers began dismantling the cameras.

San Diego has had a red-light camera program since 1998. Until Friday, there were cameras at 15 of the city's busiest intersections, with drivers caught running a red light getting a $490 ticket in the mail.

No more, Filner said. Henceforth, tickets will be written by San Diego police.

As in other cities, the cameras have been controversial in San Diego, with disputed evidence about whether they make motorists less likely to run red lights. Los Angeles ended use of red-light cameras in 2011.

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--Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Red-light camera in Los Angeles. Credit: Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times