San Mateo Discontinues Red-Light Camera Program

SAN MATEO, CA —After discovering a flaw in one of its right-light cameras, the City of San Mateo decided to drop the traffic-enforcement program that began in 2005 and reverse citations that stemmed from the faulty camera, officials said Thursday.

“I want to emphasize public safety is our top priority, and this decision was not made lightly," City Manager Drew Corbett said. "These cameras are simply not having the same effect on improving drivers’ behaviors as they once were.”

An error in the yellow-light timing was found in May at a camera monitoring drivers heading south on Saratoga Drive at the Hillsdale Boulevard intersection, the city said. A review of the system showed it was operating incorrectly from Dec. 4, 2018 to May 20, officials said, adding that the photo-enforcement was then suspended citywide.

"The error occurred during a construction project when the yellow-light timing was inadvertently set to 3.4 seconds, 0.2 seconds short of the state-mandated minimum 3.6 seconds," the city said.

Due to the malfunction, drivers who received the 985 citations issued during that timeframe and at that particular signal will have their tickets dismissed or, if paid, refunded. All other citations sent for photo-enforcement violations elsewhere in San Mateo, however, remain valid, officials said.

After investigating the faulty camera, city workers evaluated the entire photo-enforcement program that they called "labor-intensive."

"The evaluation looked at years of data in San Mateo, including the number of citations issued at intersections with automated enforcement and citywide rates of red-light collisions," the city said. "Furthermore, significant resources are needed to operate this complex program, and legislative changes have made it harder to successfully issue citations the courts will uphold."

Officials then decided to dump it entirely as its "benefits ... plateaued over the years."

"We believe focusing our efforts on uniformed patrols and education will have a greater benefit to our community,” Corbett said.

While the city noted it is directly contacting those who received citations at the Saratoga-Hillsdale intersection, anyone with questions regarding citations received through San Mateo’s Automated Photo-Enforcement Program can call 650-522-7728 or visit the city's website.

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