Red Light Cameras Coming To Manassas

MANASSAS, VA — The Manassas City Council voted 5-1 Monday to place up to 10 red-light cameras at busy intersections in the city. Three other Northern Virginia jurisdictions — Arlington, Fairfax City and Alexandria — already have red-light camera systems. Manassas City Councilman Ian Lovejoy was the only member to vote against the measure.

The first red-light photo system is expected to be installed at the intersection of Liberia Avenue and Centerville Road, which has the highest accident rate of any intersection in the city, the Prince William Times reported. The city will place signs within 500 feet of intersections warning motorists that red-light monitoring systems are installed.

The city council vote gave the city permission to sign a contract with a company called Conduent Transportation for the red light cameras. The company wil charge the city a flat fee for installing and operating the cameras. The red-light cameras will come at no cost to Manassas residents, according to Manassas City Police Chief Douglas Keen, because the violations, totaling up to $50 per violation, will cover the flat fee, according to the Prince William Times article.

When a violation is captured on camera, the photographs and video are sent to a Conduent Transportation processing center where a person conducts a review of the footage to confirm the violations. The information is then sent to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to get the names and addresses of the registered vehicle owners. If the violations are approved, the company mails a ticket to the operator of the vehicle.

The Manassas City Police Department is preparation a guide to the red light cameras that it plans to post on its website. Each of the following intersections will be studied as to the appropriateness for consideration of a red light camera, according to the city:

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

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