One down, 24 to go. That was the status update offered this week by New Jersey's most outspoken critic of the red light camera program, following Brick's official shutdown of the cameras at three main intersections.

Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon (R-Monmouth) told Townsquare Media he has been in contact with "a couple" of mayors who have shown interest in pulling the plug on their own towns' cameras, but they haven't yet "pulled the trigger."

Asm. Declan O'Scanlon and Brick Township Mayor John Ducey mark the end of red light cameras in Brick (NJ Assembly Republicans)
Asm. Declan O'Scanlon and Brick Township Mayor John Ducey mark the end of red light cameras in Brick (NJ Assembly Republicans)
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"There is no excuse at this point to continue to defend this equipment when we really have plenty of data, going back decades, that shows that it's ineffective," O'Scanlon said. "The bottom line is that in the overwhelming majority of intersections, accidents have gone up or stayed the same."

Brick mayor John Ducey said he decided against the cameras after conducting a review that found no solid evidence of improved motorist safety.

"I'm just very happy that the cameras are gone, and people can drive with less stress through the town," said Ducey.

American Traffic Solutions, Brick's camera vendor, responded by saying violations, injuries and collisions resulting from red-light running decreased in Brick and throughout the state.

"Despite the assemblyman's rhetoric, there is an overwhelming body of evidence to support the cameras' benefits and effectiveness," ATS said. "At the end of the day, the best way to avoid receiving a violation from a red-light safety camera is to obey the law and stop on red."

O'Scanlon insisted safety is not part of the equation when discussing the cameras, which he has described as "automatic taxing machines."

"I'm hoping that other mayors will not make the morally compromised decision to permit the camera companies' tortured data to give them cover to keep the revenue," he said. "That would be really dishonorable, and I hope they won't let that happen."

O'Scanlon helped send off the Brick cameras with a banner reading "Good Riddance" on their last day of operation.

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