Mayor extends red-light camera program

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry is prepared to sign a contract extension to keep the red-light camera program going even though the city will soon lose its biggest money making intersections.

The red light camera contract with the Arizona company "Red-Flex" ends on Wednesday. Berry is already making plans to extend it until University of New Mexico researchers finish a city-sponsored study on the program's effectiveness.

“We're extending our contract through May at this point, my understanding is sometime between May and June we'll have the results from the university,” Albuquerque Mayor R.J. Berry said.

However, Senior Researcher Paul Gurein at UNM said they're just in the beginning phase of the study.

“It will be easily more than a few months,” Gurein said. “I don't think that we will be done by June.”

If the study is not complete by the time the mayor wants it he said he has a back-up plan.

“Then we'll have to extend that contract again to get us through the study period so I can make an informed decision,” Berry said.

Some city councilors said it could be a big risk.

Last month, the state told Albuquerque they had 60 days to take down the automated enforcement from state roadways, which include; Coors Boulevard and Paseo del Norte. State officials said there was not enough proof the cameras are effective.

There are five locations on the list. Those areas are the city's biggest money-making red-light camera intersections.

City Councilor Ken Sanchez has expressed concerns about the lack of revenue the city will soon face.

“I do have some serious concerns without those cameras on Coors that we will be jeopardy of losing the program because of the cost.” Sanchez said.

He has even said the city may not be able to fund the program if it does not make up the loss somewhere else.

“I've always said it should not be the tax payers paying for the program it should be those violators,” Sanchez said.

Still, Sanchez said he's standing behind the mayor on this decision because he wants to see the results too.

Sanchez said he doesn’t know if the city is taking a risk, money wise but the mayor said that’s not his concern right now.

“I'm not worried about revenue at this point,” Berry said.

The mayor said for now, he is more worried about safety.

The UNM study is supposed to determine if the cameras lead to fewer high-impact crashes. Gurein said they will be analyzing thousands of accidents in the next few months.
The five cameras must come down by the middle of next month.

Councilor Sanchez is still holding out hope that the state will re-consider pulling the five cameras in Albuquerque. He said he will soon request state transportation officials to wait for the completion of the study.