Since mid-February, 2,605 citations have been issued to motorists caught on camera running red lights at five major East Baton Rouge intersections.
“We have one video that shows three cars in a row running one red light at Essen and I-10,” city-parish Chief Traffic Engineer Ingolf Partenheimer said.
“If you could see some of the stuff we’re seeing on these videos, you’d be mortified,” he added.

The first intersection where cameras were activated has the fewest citations. Records show that only 41 citations have been issued at the intersection of Coursey and South Sherwood Forest boulevards since photo enforcement started on Coursey’s eastbound lanes on Feb. 18.
Four other intersections were activated in mid-March, and have been generating far more citations.

The two cameras at Interstate 10 and College Drive generated 1,054 citations, while the three cameras at Essen and I-10 produced 1,193 citations.
The single camera at La. 19 and Blount Road resulted in 180 citations, and the lone camera at Airline Highway and Old Hammond Highway caught 137 violators.

Partenheimer said the city-parish last week held its first administrative-hearing session for those motorists seeking to contest their photo-enforced citations, and only three motorists showed up.

One of the drivers got off the hook by producing documentation to show she was rushing her husband to the hospital, Partenheimer said.
“I guess it shows that the system works,” he said.

For those who are caught, the citations cost $117 for the first offense and $167 for each subsequent offense within a year.
Contractor American Traffic Solutions Inc. will receive 35 percent of the fines that are paid on time and 45 percent of the delinquent fines, with the remainder going to the city-parish.

Partenheimer said the purpose of the program is not to generate revenue, but to make major intersections safer.

“The key is that we’re expecting to see a drop in the number of accidents due to red-light runners,” Partenheimer said.

Where cameras are posted, motorists are warned by signs that the intersection is photo enforced.

Partenheimer expects to expand the red-light monitoring program in the coming months to include other intersections.

Louisiana legislators are considering a bill to regulate red-light monitoring programs, but Partenheimer said none of the proposed regulations would impact East Baton Rouge’s program.

Source: The Advocate, SCOTT DYER