Round Rock ditching red light cameras

In a week Round Rock is getting rid of its red light cameras. The city council voted to do away with them back in October.

Since 2011, drivers have been able to take a glimpse at six different intersections in Round Rock and see cameras looking down on them, on December 31,  that will change.

“We realized that they really weren't improving safety at those intersections and also they were hard to enforce the civil penalty of $75,” Morgan said.

Council member Craig Morgan voted against bringing the cameras to the city in the first place. He believes the $75 civil penalty just wasn't enough to scare drivers.

“There's just no enforcement on these $75 tickets and if people don't want to pay them they're not going to pay them and they'll just ignore the ticket,” he said.

After the cameras are removed Morgan says officers will step up their game.

“We have a public awareness campaign going on with the police department. Tickets will now be over $200 if given by a police officer,” he said.

That's the concept former council member John Moman says needs to be brought back.

“I don't think it changes behavior, I don't think it made any difference. I voted for the ordinance and if I could go back I would not have voted for it,” he said.

Revenue generated from the camera ticket fines were paying for installation, and operation costs of the system.

The camera company was called Red Flex. Now that the contract is ending, residents like Moman hope intersections can still be safe but let officers catch red light runners the old fashioned way.

“We just need to go back to policeman catching people running lights and then you get a ticket, then you have enforcement,” Moman said.

The six intersections with the cameras are:

-Red Bud Lane at Forest Creek Drive  
-U.S. 79 at Mays Street    
-U.S. 79 at A.W. Grimes Boulevard
-U.S. 79 at Sunrise Road
-RM 620 at IH 35
-RM 620 at Deepwood Drive