Manassas Readies Red Light Cameras At Most Dangerous Intersection

MANASSAS, VA — The Manassas City Police Department has begun a traffic enforcement and awareness program called "Ready. Set. STOP!" aimed at making the city's streets safer for drivers and pedestrians. The program will include the addition of photo red light enforcement at some of the most dangerous intersections in Manassas.

The police department said Manassas residents make frequent requests for additional traffic enforcement. The police department tallied 1,735 crashes in the city in 2019. Statistically, several intersections consistently have high rates of accidents. In 2019, 253 citations were issued for failure to obey a red light and 41 of those citations were related to traffic accidents, according to the police.

The areas with the highest rates of collisions are the Liberia Avenue corridor and Godwin Drive, the police department said.

“These locations are difficult to conduct actual enforcement with personnel," Manassas City Police Chief Doug Keen said in a statement. Two police officers had to retire due to injuries they suffered when they were struck during traffic stops in the city, Keen said.

Photo red light enforcement systems, according to the police department, will allow the department to conduct enforcement without compromising the safety of officers and motorists.

In December 2019, the Manassas City Council approved an ordinance allowing for photo enforcement of red light violations. The first red-light photo system is expected to be installed at the intersection of Liberia Avenue and Centreville Road, which has the highest accident rate of any intersection in the city.

Virginia law allows for 10 intersections to have photo enforcement in Manassas. However, that does not mean 10 intersections will receive photo enforcement systems, according to the city. Photo enforcement will be installed only at intersections that are found to need it through traffic and engineering studies.

These intersections were selected for the studies because they consistently have the highest accident rates in Manassas:

• Liberia Avenue/Centreville Road
• Liberia Avenue/Euclid Avenue
• Liberia Avenue/Mathis Avenue
• Liberia Avenue/Signal Hill Road
• Grant Avenue/Center Street
• Godwin Drive/Wellington Road
• Godwin Drive/Nokesville Road
• Liberia Avenue/Prince William Parkway
• Liberia Avenue/Richmond Avenue
• Sudley Road/Godwin Drive

The city council vote gave the city permission to sign a contract with a company called Conduent Transportation for the red light cameras. The photo system is a rear-facing system, which means the cameras only capture the rear of the vehicle and its license plate. No photos will be taken of the driver.

Photo red light violations will go through a three-step process. Two people with the contractor will review the violation for accuracy before it is sent to the Manassas City Police Department where a police officer reviews the violation a third time for final approval.

The fine will be $50 per violation. It is a civil penalty that goes to the owner, not the driver. No points will be assessed to the driver's or owner’s licenses. The violation will be mailed to the owner’s registered address.

According to the Prince William County Police Department, the intersection of Liberia Ave. and Centreville Road, within Manassas City limits, saw 73 accidents in 2018, the highest number of accidents in Manassas. The second highest number of accidents in 2018 was 41 at the intersection of Liberia and Euclid Avenues

Collisions caused by red light violations tend to be angle or side impacts, which are typically more severe. These collisions are more likely to cause serious injury and major property damage. Roadway safety studies, according to the police department, show photo red light enforcement can reduce violations by up to 40 percent.

The other two components of the “Ready. Set. STOP!” project are school bus stop arm photo enforcement, which is already in existence, and a public awareness campaign.

The “Ready. Set. STOP!” awareness campaign will be conducted through social media platforms and distribution of campaign materials throughout the city. The awareness campaign will focus on educating and encouraging drivers to obey the yellow lights on traffic signals as the indicator to prepare to stop.

Information on the implementation of photo red light cameras at the intersection of Liberia and Centreville Road will be released in the coming weeks.