What Does The Re-Certified Red Light Camera Program Mean For You? [AUDIO]

Now that the yellow traffic light timing issue has been re-certified, Jersey’s red light camera pilot program has been restarted.

Tim Greeley, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Transportation, says the participating towns have been informed they are now clear to continue operating their cameras in the pilot program as they had before, and they can begin re-issuing summonses for motorists that do run red lights.

“When the program was suspended – between June 19th and July 25th – the red light cameras were turned off, but we did not tell the towns that they had to be turned off – they continued recording data. And our understanding is the municipal police departments were essentially collecting the same violation information and data that they normally would, but they were not allowed to issue any summonses…But now, any violations that occurred during that time – the summonses will be issued for those violations.”

He says if you want to fight a red light ticket, don’t call the DOT.

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“We’re sort of the administrators of the program, but we don’t deal directly with any violations as they are sent out:…If you are issued a red light ticket and you ignore it, you’ll be ordered to show up in municipal court…The point of the pilot program is not to cause an uproar, but rather to be able to make a determination as to whether or not these types of cameras actually can decrease accidents at these intersections…The overall goal obviously is to make a determination as to whether these cameras can contribute to increasing safety.”

Greeley adds the goal here is simple: to gather enough data “to intelligently and responsibly make a long term determination as to the continued use and viability of these cameras as a means in decreasing accidents.”

State Senator Michael Doherty has issued a statement saying, “I continue to believe that the red light camera program is misguided and will push forward with legislation to ban the use of red light cameras in New Jersey. The certification of the 63 red light cameras in question does nothing to address the propriety of the program as a whole.”

He says “more than 4 thousand people have signed my online petition supporting our effort to ban red light cameras in New Jersey. I urge people to join our effort by signing the petition.”

Doherty is the sponsor of legislation that would ban the use of red light cameras in New Jersey.