Traffic cameras in Cedar Rapids, Marion still will issue red-light citations

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Iowa Department of Transportation this week rejected permit applications for most of the automated traffic enforcement cameras used to catch speeding around the state — but the rejected cameras may still be used for red light enforcement.

A state law passed earlier this year regulates the use of speed enforcement cameras by requiring cities to apply for a permit for each stationary speeding camera and for each location where they would like to use a mobile speed enforcement camera. The Iowa DOT approved permits for only 11 stationary cameras in the state, and denied 128.

The new law regulates only the use of cameras for speeding enforcement, and many automated cameras also can used to detect red-light violations.

In Cedar Rapids, nine of the 13 cameras the city requested permits for are stationed at intersections where they also monitor red-light violations. The other four are stationed on Interstate 380 to measure speed — and two of those locations were rejected by the Iowa DOT, the one heading north out of the S-curve at J Avenue and the one heading south out of the S-curve at First Avenue.

Only two of Cedar Rapids’ surface street locations — one facing north and one facing south at the intersection of Williams Boulevard and 16th Avenue SW — were approved to continue for speeding.

The rest of the cameras at surface street intersections have stopped issuing speeding citations, but will continue to issue citations for red-light violations, the city said in a statement.

Speeding citations in Cedar Rapids cost between $75 and $500, depending on how fast the vehicle is driving, and $18 of every paid citation goes to camera vendor Sensys Gatso USA. The rest goes to the city. For red light citations, Sensys Gatso receives $22 per paid citation and the city receives $78 per paid citation.

The city’s budget for fiscal 2025, which began in July, includes $7.21 million in traffic camera revenue — $5.48 million of which is being used to pay for 41 police officer positions. The other $1.73 million is going toward service provider and collection costs, according to the city’s end of year report for 2023.

The city of Marion requested permits for five traffic cameras at two intersections — westbound, northbound and southbound at Highway 13 and Highway 151, and eastbound and westbound at Highway 100 at East Post Road. All were denied by the Iowa DOT.

According to Marion Police Chief Mike Kitsmiller, the cameras will continue to be used to monitor for red light citations, but they have been temporarily turned off while the city updates its signage.

The new law created specific signage requirements for traffic cameras — which Marion did not meet — but allowed for continued operation of cameras already in place until a permitting decision was reached. Currently the city is working with the Iowa DOT to update its signs, after which the cameras will be turned back on and used only to monitor red-light violations, Kitsmiller said.

Marion also won’t be deploying its mobile speeding camera — which was approved to operate at 29 locations — until after the signage is updated.

In Marion, speeding citations cost between $75 and $500 depending on speed, and red-light violations cost $100. Sensys Gato receives $35 from every paid citation.

During the year the stationary cameras in Marion were active, between September 2023 and this September, they issued 12,066 red-light citations and 1,122 speeding citations. The mobile camera issued 7,149 speeding citations. In total, the cameras brought in $1,094,758 in fines. Of that, $429,605 went toward expenses for the cameras, leaving the city with a net gain of $665,153.

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