The Monday workshop featured Department of Public Safety Chief Joe Henner giving the City Council an update of the ongoing information search of having red light cameras installed and the pros and cons of the system.

The company being considered provided footage of five intersections being considered: three on Highway 199, at Allen Creek, Ringuette, and Rogue River Highway plus one at 6th and M, and at 6th and West Park.

According to Oregon law the city would have to provide a public information campaign explaining about the cameras and evaluate their reception every two years. Every intersection considered is an ODOT controlled intersection, which means an engineering study must be done at city expense for each intersection plus the cost of signage plus repairs to ODOT equipment should damage be caused by the cameras.

Chief Henner urged everyone not to even consider the cameras as a revenue stream, or any type of traffic control as a money source, “If you talk to a lot of people they’ll say, well, just hire another traffic officer and he or she will pay for themselves plus 5 more; because they have this belief that there is so much revenue generated from traffic tickets that really isn’t reality.”

The Chief estimated it would take a commissioned officer 20 hours weekly to handle the citations and court appearances.

Councilors want specific information about accidents and their severity at the considered intersections plus they asked about Medford’s experience with the cameras and if accidents were reduced, plus more feedback from ODOT.