State orders red light cameras removed

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - The state is ordering the city of Albuquerque to take down red light cameras at five intersections saying they’re not convinced the cameras make the streets safer.

Thursday morning the State’s Transportation Commission approved a new policy that gave the Department of Transportation the authority to ban red light cameras and speed vans on any state road, highway, or federal interstate.

“The state transportation commission felt strongly that there is no clear cut evidence that they actually make the roads safer,” New Mexico Department of Transportation Spokesperson Mark Slimp said.

In total, five Albuquerque intersections, four on Coors Blvd. and one on Paseo Del Norte, will have to be taken down. For Albuquerque, that means its biggest money maker, as far as red light cameras go, will be unplugged.

In 2009, cameras at the intersection of Paseo Del Norte and Jefferson nailed more than 15,000 speeders and 2,500 red light runners.

Despite those statistics, NMDOT said it's not sold on the cameras.

“Other neutral studies that say yes you may stop one kind of accident of inadvertently cause another when people slam on their brakes to not get a ticket,” Slimp said.

Slimp said there are too many studies with conflicting information.

Even drivers who’ve sped through or have been caught running the red had differing opinions on the effectiveness of the cameras.

“I think it helps because it forces people to slow down, when they know there's a camera there,” Tim Alvar said.

“I see people speeding all the time once they get past the cameras they speed up,” Deb said

The red light camera controversy has been up for debate before. Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry has recently ordered a UNM study on the project.

The study is expected to be complete by May.

The NMDOTs decision also means Santa Fe and Las Cruces will remove their red light cameras that are on state highways.

That affects all the cameras are on Cerrillos Rd. in Santa Fe, which is a state highway.