Charlotte leaders are considering bringing back red light cameras to some of the city’s most dangerous intersections.
A Charlotte City Council public safety committee discussed the idea on Monday, hearing from city staff who said a 2024 ruling from the North Carolina Supreme Court could allow the city to restart the program.
The renewed interest comes after 25-year-old Lance Sotelo was killed in January when a driver ran a red light on The Plaza, prompting calls from traffic safety advocates to install cameras at high-crash intersections.
Charlotte previously operated a red light camera program from 1998 to 2006, but ended it after a court decision made it financially unsustainable.
But city Deputy Director Charlie Jones told council members on Monday that a 2024 ruling from the state supreme court might open the door for the cameras to return under a new funding model. He said the city could start with a pilot program at ten high-crash intersections.
Traffic safety advocates with Sustain Charlotte say red-light running has become a widespread problem in Charlotte and argue cameras could help reduce crashes.
City data shows crashes dropped by about 20% at intersections where cameras were installed during the previous program, though rear-end crashes increased by 4%.
Several council members said they're open to bringing the cameras back, though questions remain about cost.
Democratic council member Dimple Ajmera said she wants to explore ways for the state to help with funding, but also wanted the city to take action soon, "because the longer we wait, we are going to see more lives lost to traffic fatalities, so we must prioritize this,” Ajmera said.
Republican council member Ed Driggs also expressed interest but said the city should weigh whether cameras are the most effective use of resources.
“Not to put a price tag on injuries and human life, but I would ask myself, could we use that money in other ways toward safety and save more lives than this?” Driggs said.
Most other North Carolina cities have abandoned red light camera programs, though Greensboro voted last year to bring them back, with fines set at $50.
Charlotte council members took no action Monday but agreed to continue discussing the proposal.
