Phoenix is spending up to $12 million over the next five years on traffic enforcement cameras after the City Council approved a contract Wednesday with a Mesa-based company.
The move puts money down on a plan approved last fall. The only no vote was cast by the only Phoenix City Council member to join since then, in part over efforts by state lawmakers to outlaw traffic cameras.
Vice Mayor Ann O’Brien said she would prefer the police ticket speeders and red-light runners, but there simply aren’t enough.
“Phoenix has 28 dedicated motor officers assigned to speed and traffic enforcement. And we have more than 5,000 miles. Let that sink in,” O’ Brien said.
The contract must be renewed annually.
Officials say they’re crunching three years of traffic and crash data to decide where to place enforcement cameras.
Cameras in Tempe caught nearly 2,300 speeders and red-light runners over just two weeks. The figure was cited by City Council members in neighboring Phoenix.
Councilman Kevin Robinson said photo-enforcement will change behavior.
“If we’re OK with people dying with regularity. ... And you look as to why it is happening, it's because of the way people drive,” Robinson said.
This week, Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill that would have outlawed traffic enforcement cameras.
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The United States has ordered tariffs on countries that continue to ship oil to the island. Mexico has described the shipments as a humanitarian measure. -
Photo radar is back in Phoenix. The city announced recently it’s installing 17 cameras at various locations known for speed-related crashes. Another eight will be in school zones. -
The Arizona Department of Transportation is planning a pavement rehabilitation project along roughly 10 miles of State Route 51 — stretching from the Interstate 10 to Shea Boulevard. -
Speed cameras will be back in Phoenix next month as part of the city’s road safety action plan adopted in 2022.
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In late February, 17 speed-monitoring cameras will be placed at various spots throughout the city. Just over half of those will rotate locations every six months to monitor corridors known for speed-involved crashes.
