SAN ANTONIO – Leon Valley residents are putting the brakes on red-light runners along Bandera Road. This week, the city approved an ordinance to set fees and fines for the photographic traffic enforcement system.
City Manager Kelly Kuenstler said the ordinance comes at the request of residents who were fed up with the offenders and the number of crashes.
According to a city study, some 70,000-80,000 drivers use Bandera Road between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 each day. Police hand out about 280 citations a month, and 93 percent of them are non-Leon Valley residents.
“We are using a tremendous amount of resources on people who are merely traversing through the city of Leon Valley,” Kuenstler said.
A contractor is currently conducting a study to figure out how many cameras will be needed and where they will be placed.
Balcones Heights has been using red light cameras since 2006. The city cites a 70 percent drop in crashes as a result of the installation.
“Angle crashes are some of the most devastating crashes to drivers, and this is what red-light cameras prevent,” Kuenstler said.
A citation will cost $75 dollars plus fees. The photos will be viewed by a law enforcement officer to ensure they are valid citations.
Revenue from the program will be used to hire officers and a clerk to handle the citations or be put back to traffic enforcement in accordance with state law.
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