Harlingen to end red light cameras

HARLINGEN — After monitoring the city’s busiest intersections for nearly three years, Harlingen’s red light cameras will soon be coming down.

City commissioners in a meeting on Wednesday voted against renewing a contract with Redflex Traffic Systems, the company that operates the city’s nine cameras, which will be out of service once the contract with Redflex expires on March 26.

A motion by District 3 Commissioner Kori Marra to accept a staff proposal extending the contract for one year was shot down by Commissioners Robert Leftwich, Joey Treviño and Jerry Prepejchal. Larry Galbreath voted to extend the contract.

The vote followed a report by Police Chief Danny Castillo and dispute among commissioners and citizens as to whether the cameras were effective in curtailing accidents at monitored intersections.

Leftwich presented information from the Federal Highway Administration recommending engineering measures that the city could take to deter accidents in lieu of the cameras.

Mayor Chris Boswell cited a 50 percent decrease in accidents since the cameras became operational on May 1, 2007.

He recommended that engineering measures suggested by Leftwich be used in tandem with the camera program, which could help pay for such measures.