Red light camera citations down 60 percent after seven months

Red-light citations issued by traffic cameras in Cedar Rapids have dropped by 60 percent in the first seven months.

Citations issued by the first five cameras installed dropped from 462 in May to 183 in November, according to analysis by SourceMedia Group using statistics from camera vendor Gatso USA. The sharpest drop came between May and June (38 percent).

Three additional cameras have been installed since May to watch intersections, and four more catch speeders on Interstate 380. Speeding citations on I-380 at Diagonal Drive have declined by 55 percent in the first five months.

The cameras have brought in more than $1.5 million to the city.

Here are some other numbers:

TRAFFIC CAM DATA – THROUGH DEC. 15

Red light citations: 2,892 (4.9 percent)

Speed citations: 55,308 (95.1 percent)

Total citations: 58,200

The money

City gross: $2,601,125

Due to Gatso: $1,017,900

Revenue: $1,583,225

Red light citations (first five intersections)

May: 462

June: 285

July: 287

August: 274

September: 205

October: 244

November: 183

Status of Tickets

Paid: 33,930

Payment pending (mailed and waiting): 16,052

Issued (approved, but not mailed): 737

Contested (awaiting court date): 611

Not liable: 3,007 – 360 appealed and won (329 speed, 31 red light) (rest are warnings)

Bad Debt (Forwarded to Collections): 5,631

Undeliverable (returned to sender after 2 tries): 879

Citations at I-380 NB at Diagonal Drive (cams went live June 12)

July: 2,919

August: 2,109

September: 1,451

October: 679

November: 1,309

Citations at I-380 NB at H Avenue (cams went live Aug. 27)

September: 8,882

October: 6,667

November: 4,414