Red Light Camera Malfunction Raises Questions in Gloucester Township

Following the announcement Monday afternoon that some red light violations issued in Gloucester Township are being administratively dismissed due to a technical error, one resident questioned how the township might recover lost revenue at Monday night’s council meeting.

Automated Traffic Solutions (ATS) experienced technical issues with the issuing of red light violation notices for some offenses that occurred in Gloucester Township between April 30 and May 23 of this year.

Due to the technical issue, drivers did not receive the violation notice within the required 90 day time period. The State Judiciary is therefore requiring that affected violations be administratively dismissed.

The Gloucester Township Municipal Court has received the list of violations that are to be dismissed.

Those affected do not have to do anything as the summons will be administratively dismissed and will not appear on the driver’s record.

Each ticket is $85, and this is the second malfunction with the program since the township joined the program in 2010.

The latest malfunction was part of a statewide malfunction that resulted in the dismissal of about 17,000 infractions, according to nj.com.

ATS and Redflex each operate red light cameras in the state, but Redflex didn’t have any malfunctions, according to nj.com. ATS operates about half the cameras, which are installed at 76 intersections statewide.

The previous malfunction was about two years ago, and the township was fully compensated for the amount of money it would’ve made from the tickets issued, according to Gloucester Township Business Administrator Tom Cardis.

On Monday night, he said he didn’t have enough information to be able to predict what the township would be able to recover from the latest malfunction.

Gloucester Township was among the first four towns in the state to install the red light cameras as part of a state program in 2010. It’s a five-year program aimed at reducing violations and accidents.

The township has 10 cameras at a cost of $4,750 per camera per month. The total the township pays for the camera is $540,000 annually.

The program expires in December, and Cardis said it’s not clear if the program will be renewed.

Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth) is already on record saying he doesn’t think the state should renew the program, and the resident who spoke Monday night suggested the township pursue litigation if it receives anything short of a full reimbursement of lost revenues.

If the program is not renewed and the township must remove the 10 cameras, that cost will be considered in next year’s budget, Council President Glen Bianchini said.