Dover – The Department of Transportation announces that ten additional red light cameras are expected to be installed at locations throughout the state by early summer.
Currently, as part of the Electronic Red Light Safety Program (ERLSP), 20 red light cameras capable of video taping red light violators are operational throughout the State. The ten new cameras, expected to be up and running by summer, include one additional location in Kent County, seven in New Castle County, and two in Sussex County.
“We are glad to see the addition of these new cameras, bringing the total to 30 locations throughout the state. We know this program is saving lives and reducing the number of angle crashes, which are more likely to result in serious injury or death,” said Transportation Secretary Carolann Wicks.
The first two locations to be operational will be in Sussex County on Route 1 at Munchy Branch Road and Route 1 at Old Landing Road. Once the cameras are operational, a 30-day warning period will be provided, which means motorists traveling through a red light at these locations will receive a warning instead of a citation, until the warning period expires. Permanent “Red Light Camera Enforcement” signs will also be placed at each location to indicate which intersections are monitored by cameras.
The ten new locations expected to be operational by summer are:
New Castle County
Old Baltimore Pike at Salem Church Road/Salem Woods Drive
Route 2/Kirkwood Highway at Harmony Road
Route 2/Kirkwood Highway at Red Mill Road/Polly Drummond Hill Road
Route 58/Churchmans Road at Route 1 Northbound ramps
Route 92/Naamans Road at Shipley Road/Brandywine Parkway
Route 273 at Harmony Road/Gerald Drive
Route 273 at Route 7
Sussex County
Route 1 at Munchy Branch Road/Miller Road
Route 1 at Old Landing Road
Kent County
U.S. 13 at Scarborough Road
Under the program, the fine for a violation is $112.50 and is assessed when a Notice of Civil Violation is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle involved in violating the traffic signal. Unlike traditional violations cited by a police officer, the camera violations are considered a civil offense not a criminal one. Because of this, the violation and fine will not impact a motorist’s insurance rate or accumulate points on their driving record.
Although the ERLSP’s priority is safety and not revenue generation, the revenue generated for the 20 intersections at which cameras are currently installed is $5.2 million annually, with 41,000 violations issued. DelDOT expects an additional $2.5 million in revenue once the new locations are fully operational. Costs associated with the program are deducted from revenues and are paid to the vendor and then distributed to the local jurisdictions, which are the cities of Newark, Dover, and Seaford; and the Town of Elsmere. Delaware State Police monitor red light camera locations in unincorporated areas of the state. Part of the revenue is retained by the Transportation Trust Fund.
The new contractor for the ERLSP is American Traffic Systems (ATS). ATS is the largest North American photo enforcement service provider, operating the majority of such programs for the largest U.S. and Canadian cities, serving more than 200 communities.
