Red light cameras catching motorists in Cedar Rapids

Red light cameras have photographed more than 30 motorists since the first one went live in Cedar Rapids 11 days ago, police said Tuesday.

Two intersections are now monitored on 10th Street SE, at First Avenue and Second Avenue. Six more cameras will be put in place to monitor speed and red-light violations in the coming weeks.

A mobile radar van is also part of the enhanced enforcement system. During a 90-minute test on Tuesday morning, its camera caught 166 speeders in the 400 block of 76th Avenue SW, near Prairie Crest Elementary School.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said several motorists were clocked at 50 mph in the 25 mph speed limit.

“It will get a picture going both ways, so it will get the driver of the car, and it also will get the back of the vehicle,” Hamblin said.

For now, police are mailing written warnings to all the violators. Hamblin said citations will be sent to those caught by the cameras starting on March 14, after the 30-day warning period expires. The ticket for running a red light will be $100. Speeding citations will vary depending how fast the motorist is going, she said.

Capt. Steve O'Konek said the next camera to go live will be at Second Avenue and Sixth Street SW. Hamblin said other cameras - at First Avenue and L Street SW, Second Avenue and Third Street SW, Center Point Road and Collins Road NE, Williams Boulevard and 16th Avenue SW and Edgewood Road and 42nd Street NE - should be in place active by this summer, at the latest. Two fixed speed cameras are also planned for Interstate 380 near the downtown area.

More than two dozen Cedar Rapids police officers have been trained to review each potential violation and decide whether a citation is warranted, O'Konek said. So far, Hamblin it has been a popular chore among the officers.

“They get in arguments over who gets to approve them,” Hamblin said.

O'Konek and other officials with the city have denied claims that the goal of the cameras is revenue generation.

“If we don't see a reduction in crashes and injuries, then the cameras are gonna go,” O'Konek said.

Questions about the red light and speed enforcement cameras can be e-mailed to

crpdredlight@cedar-rapids.org">crpdredlight@cedar-rapids.org, and someone will reply with an answer as soon as possible.