Grants Pass, Ore. — The City of Grants Pass is working to add two red light cameras in busy intersections to crack down on driving laws.
“We have surveys done about our services that we offer in grants pass. One of the biggest things ones that always comes up is the ‘red light runners,’ said Lieutenant Todd Moran, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety.
He said it happens over and over, people disobeying driving laws.
“It’s really difficult to set a vehicle – an officer in a car – at those intersections waiting,” he said.
Which is why, in 2016, GPDPS proposed installing two red light cameras at popular intersections.
“Since that, we’ve been through various stages of processes which include going out for RFP processed, pick a vendor,” he said.
Now, the city is working on choosing where the lights are going.
For now, the city plans on having one at the intersection of Allen Creek Road and Highway 199. The second, is planned for an intersection on Grants Pass Parkway, near Walmart or Fred Meyer.
Lieutenant Moran said the hope is that the red lights will be a revenue-neutral program.
“It doesn’t cost the city or the taxpayers any money to set the intersections up or maintain them,” he said.
He also said installing a red light system creates what’s called ‘a halo effect’ on drivers.
“When they go to a photo red light enforced intersection, they know that they’re slowing down, making sure that they’re not running that particular intersection. It’s signed and so it makes people drive on their best behavior for other intersections that are close by,” he said.
Which is part of the reason Grants Pass plans to have the cameras on separate ends of town.
“It really wouldn’t serve a purpose to put two intersections right next to each other with the system, so you want to spread those out a little bit,” he said.
The city hopes to install the cameras sometime in 2018. GPDPS said it doesn’t plan on implementing speed cameras just yet. However, the agency said if the red light cameras perform well, the city could see more cameras in the future.
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