Automated Red Light Camera
Enforcement Program
Feasibility study for City of Alameda Police Department by Lt. Brian Foster
Key Findings
1 Governed by CA Vehicle Code 21455.5-21455.7
2 Must be managed by the Police Department
3 Council approval required and an identifiable safety need 4 Potential to be revenue-neutral
Red Light Enforcement
Traditional Method
Officer monitors intersection, stops
violator, issues citation
2024 Statistics
112 red light citations, 3% of total
collisions (26 in 2024)
Collision Injuries
Approx. 50% of 2024 red light
collisions involve some level of injury
Automated Method
Cameras running 24 hour/365 day per
year enforcement via photo/HD video
at Park St/Otis Dr and Webster
St/Atlantic Ave.
Projected Violations
Approx. 35 violations per day at two
proposed intersections, over 12000
violations per year
Potential Safety Impact
Study showed the following impact on
collisions from Automated Enforcement:
Overall reduction in collisions at
signalized intersections: 7%
Overall reduction in injury collisions at
signalized intersections: 29%
Overall reduction in collisions most
associated with red light violations: 32%
Overall reduction in injury collisions most
associated with red light violations: 68%
Historical Collision Data
Vision Zero Action Plan Analysis (Collision Date from 2009-2018) During the creation of the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan, the collision data was analyzed from 2009-2018. Traffic sign and signal violations were identified as causing the following percentages of collisions during that period (Note: This data also includes collisions resulting from failure to stop at a stop sign, as the data was not parsed to individual violation types).
Collision Type % of Total Collisions % of Injury Collisions % of Fatal/Serious Injury Collisions
Pedestrian-involved 3% 3% 3%
Motorcycle-involved 2% 5% 1%
Motor vehicle-only 11% 11% 0%
Bicyclists involved 11% 11% 6%
Proposed Implementation
Pilot Program
Two intersections: Park St./Otis Dr. and Webster St./Atlantic Ave.
Equipment
$240,000 per intersection annually (Typically a 5 year contract) Staffing
Additional part-time staff for violation review (950 hours annually) Cost Breakdown
$527,500
Total Annual Cost
For two intersections
$47,500
Staff Cost
Part-time APD staff
$480,000
Software System
Annual cost for two intersections
Additional installation costs to be determined
Potential Benefits
Reduced Collisions
Especially injury collisions
1 Improved Safety
For pedestrians and cyclists
2 Cost Recovery
Through fine revenues
3 Future Compatibility
With speed enforcement
4 Considerations
Privacy
Constant high-definition recording
of vehicles and occupants
Data Retention
Footage kept for 6 months or until
adjudication (Per CVC)
Policy Development
Needed to govern program and
limit access
Alternatives
Implement Pilot Program
Two intersections, part-time staff
Wait for Speed Enforcement Legislation
Implement comprehensive program later
No Implementation
Continue current enforcement methods
Next Steps
1 Return to City Council (Target Date June of 2025)
Seek approval of the above for pilot program implementation 2 Vendor Selection
Source automated enforcement provider
3 Policy Creation
Develop governing policy for program
4 Budget Inclusion
Add to Fiscal Year 2025-27 budget