KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Efforts are underway in St. Louis to bring back red light cameras as part of that city’s traffic enforcement, a development Kansas City, Missouri, officials are watching closely.
St. Louis mayor Tishuara Jones and the St. Louis Board of Aldermen have been working for weeks to iron out legal and policy issues that could bring the return of red light cameras to St. Louis.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch reported Sunday that Jones and Aldermen appeared ready to work together to bring the cameras back.
Kansas City and St. Louis were among Missouri cities that built networks of red light cameras back in the early 2000s, hoping to curb red light runners and careless driving.
But a series of legal challenges, including a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court, cast doubt on how the cameras were used.
The uncertainly ultimately forced Kansas City to suspend its red light camera network in 2012. Other cities across Missouri suspended their use in 2015.
Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas took to social media Monday morning exploring whether bringing the cameras back might also make sense in Kansas City.
Lucas cited a 78 percent increase in the number of fatalities year-to-date, with 25 deaths so far reported on Kansas City roads compared to 14 at the same point last year.
With fatality auto crashes reaching new highs, what are your thoughts on returning red light cameras to the community like what’s being evaluated in St. Louis? https://t.co/3NcNNJTPO7
— Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) March 25, 2024
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