Pittsburgh councilperson introducing legislation authorizing the use of red light cameras
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Councilperson Erika Strassburger of District 8 introduced new legislation Tuesday to authorize the use of red light cameras in the city.
Chris Sandvig knows what it's like to get hit by a car.
"Is 45-second savings worth killing someone?" Sandvig said.
It happened to him while riding a bike on his way to work.
"I was in the trauma ward for 10 full days, literally unable to move," Sandvig said.
The driver didn't run a red light, but every day, Sandvig's scared of drivers who do.
"I don't think my life is worth 45 seconds. I hope nobody thinks their life is worth 45 seconds of savings to get to where you think you're trying to get," Sandvig said.
It's why Councilperson Strassburger is proposing the use of automated red light enforcement systems at the most dangerous intersections in the city.
Crews would install sensors at the traffic lights that take photos of vehicles violating the laws. A sign would notify drivers at lights where they're in place, and if you are in violation, you could get a $100 ticket in the mail.
"This program will cost nothing to you if you choose to drive safely," Strassburger said.
"For all of our pedestrians in this city, we want our streets to be as safe as we can make them," Mayor Ed Gainey said.
Those are the most vulnerable. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of two people die every day in the U.S., and 50,000 are injured due to red-light running. In cases where cameras were removed, deadly red-light crash rates increased by 30%.
In Pittsburgh, between 2019 and 2023, there have been more than 750 red-light running crashes, seven fatal. The number of crashes has increased every year since 2020.
Director of Public Safety Lee Schmidt said these systems would allow officers to focus on other threats on the road.
"This technology allows our officers to be more efficient, more effective, with enforcement," Schmidt said.
"Let's let this be the start of a lot of good things to come to make our streets safer for everybody," Sandvig said.
As for the next steps, the council is expected to take the bill up for discussion in about a month. Strassburger is optimistic it will eventually pass.
It would be an additional tool as a part of the city's Vision Zero initiative.
What is Vision Zero?
Vision Zero was introduced earlier this year and a number of different ways to cut down on crashes have already been rolled out, including speed bumps, more cycling lanes, extending the width of the sidewalk and curb lines at intersections, and prohibiting turns on red, just to name a few.
The introduction of the legislation comes on the heels of a pedestrian crash in the city's Bloomfield neighborhood over the weekend.
A man was hit by a vehicle at the intersection of 44th Street and Penn Avenue and was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Public Safety officials didn't specify at the time if the crash involved a red light violation.
