PORTSMOUTH — Three new red-light cameras are active in Portsmouth, and violators will now be subject to fines.
The 30-day grace period for the first set of new cameras ended Monday, and drivers who run past red lights at three intersections will face $50 penalties. Those include Twin Pines and Towne Point roads, Frederick Boulevard and Turnpike Road, and Victory Boulevard and Greenwood Drive.
Another six cameras will be activated later at these intersections:
- Victory Boulevard and George Washington Highway.
- Frederick and Airline boulevards.
- Airline and Victory boulevards.
- Portsmouth and Airline boulevards.
- Portsmouth Boulevard and Elmhurst Lane.
- W High Street and Cedar Lane.
Police Chief Stephen Jenkins told City Council members in Tuesday’s work session that state law limits the maximum number of red-light cameras, and Portsmouth can have up to nine. Intersections were selected based on speed zone studies, accident history and driving behavior from test cameras used to help determine the best locations, he said.
The chief also said in light of legal challenges playing out in surrounding jurisdictions for speed cameras, his department is working to recreate citations to ensure they’re the same official Virginia uniform summons that would be issued for other violations.
Citations include videos and can be contested in court. Violations are issued to vehicles, not necessarily drivers, Jenkins said.
“The goal here is to correct people’s behavior,” he said.
The new red-light cameras come months after police began enforcing more than a dozen school speed zone cameras across the city. Any excess revenue received from speed camera citations are intended for police and local schools.
As of May, the city has netted nearly $335,000 from speeding cameras since enforcement began in January, which amounts to about 40% of the overall revenue received from citations. The remaining share, about $475,000, goes to Altumint, the vendor that installed and maintains the equipment.
City Council expects to discuss revenue allocations in September.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com
