Wisconsin bill would allow for up to 75 red light cameras to be placed across Milwaukee

There’s a renewed effort to bring red light and speed enforcement cameras to Milwaukee to help address reckless driving.

State law currently prohibits the use of the cameras, which snap photos of vehicles that run a red light or speed. But a recently introduced bill would allow for up to 75 of the cameras to be placed at intersections across Milwaukee. 

If the bill becomes law, it would apply only to communities designated as first-class cities by the state. Milwaukee is the only first-class city in Wisconsin.

The bill’s author, state Sen. Dora Drake, D-Milwaukee, spoke in favor of the measure during a public hearing Tuesday held by the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government. She said the red light and speed enforcement cameras would be another tool to fight reckless driving, an issue that has plagued residents of Milwaukee for years. 

“This legislation is about changing dangerous habits and ensuring that everyone — regardless of where they live — can cross the street or drive to work, school or church without fear,” Drake said. 

The cameras would only be placed at “high-frequency crash locations” in the city, according to the bill. No more than five cameras would be allowed in each of the city’s 15 aldermanic districts. 

Traffic citations would only be issued for drivers of vehicles recorded at 15 mph or more above the posted speed limit or for drivers who don’t properly stop at a red light. Drake said it would ultimately be up to city officials to decide where to place the cameras. The measure also calls for placing “Photo Enforced” signs at intersections where the cameras would be located. 

The money collected from the citations would pay for implementing and operating the system. After those costs are paid, the money from citations could only be spent on “traffic enforcement, traffic safety programs, and traffic safety infrastructure,” according to an analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau. 

“We want to change behavior,” Milwaukee’s Vision Zero Policy Director Jessica Wineberg said. “We aren’t trying to maximize revenue.” 

Traffic injures in Milwaukee have increased by 86 percent since 2012. Last year, 74 people died in traffic crashes in the city. 

Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the cameras would be another “proven tool” for the city to fight reckless driving. City leaders have focused on education, enforcement and engineering to address the issue. 

“The goal is not tickets. It’s about compliance, and compliance saves lives,” Norman said. 

Similar legislation has been drafted in recent years but has failed to win enough support from state lawmakers. Drake said Tuesday was the first time a bill on the issue had received a public hearing.

State Sen. Cory Tomczyk, R-Mosinee, a cosponsor of the bill and the chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Local Government, spoke in favor of the measure.

“This will not solve the traffic violation problems in Milwaukee, but it is a tool in the toolbox that law enforcement can use to try and make the streets a little safer,” Tomczyk said.

More than 340 communities in the United States have red light camera programs, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A study from that group found the cameras reduced the “fatal red light running crash rate” by 21 percent in larger cities.

During the hearing,  state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, said he didn’t believe the cameras would do enough to stop reckless drivers and speeders. Instead, he called for more patrol officers to be present in areas where crashes occur in the city.

“I don’t see taking a picture as a way to solve it here,” Wanggaard said.

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