Promoting safety or just a money maker? The debate on red light cameras in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE — A dangerous practice too often seen on Milwaukee roads, people driving through red lights. It is why Democratic Representative LaKeshia Myers has reintroduced a bill to allow red light cameras in Milwaukee. Right now, it is illegal to have red light cameras in the state. Under the proposed measure, it would allow Milwaukee to test up to 75 cameras in a 5-year pilot program.

“This is something Milwaukee specifically needs,” says Myers.

But the bill has failed multiple times and Republican Senator Van Wanggaard say the cameras do not improve anyone’s safety.

“They want to put traffic cams up in Milwaukee. I will never support that,” says Wanggaard.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety disagrees after studying red light cameras.

Courtesy of the Insurance Institute Highway for Safety

“We’ve seen that red light safety cameras and cities where they’ve been put in place have reduced red light running fatalities by more than 20%. And so we think that they’re a really effective deterrent for this kind of behavior,” says Jessica Cicchino from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

However, Illinois Policy Institute has been also been studying red light camera use and says lawmakers are not using them for public safety.

“We see that in politicians using it as tools for revenue rather than tools for safety. We see mixed results in terms of safety where people slam on their brakes to avoid a ticket and people rear-end them,” says Austin Berg from the Illinois Policy Institute.

Courtesy of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

In Illinois, over the past decade, the state has generated more than $1 billion dollars in revenue for red light cameras according to the Illinois Policy Institute. In Chicago, with cameras that send tickets both for running red lights and for speeding, the city writes a ticket every 11 seconds. That translates into $250,000 worth of tickets in a single day.

In Milwaukee Common Council’s Steering and Rules Committee presentation, it says they expect to make $40 million over 10 years from red light and speed cameras.

Milwaukee Common Council

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“It does have the potential to be a revenue generator, but I would say not to make money off the backs of people in the district. This is a reckless driving mechanism. We want to make people drive better,” says Myers.

She is now calling for a study committee to look at red light cameras this summer at the state in an effort to move the measure forward. Senator Wanggaard says he believes the way to cut down on reckless driving is to add police officers.

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