Eyewitness News found out that nearly a dozen new red-light cameras are coming to Orlando.
Some of the cameras are already online, and the rest are set to be turned on by the end of the month.
The city plans to turn on 11 this month. Three cameras at the intersection outside the First Baptist Church of Orlando, four will be activated in Metrowest at Kirkman Road and Raleigh Street, three will be activated on Kirkman Road at Vineland Avenue, and another is a block from City Hall at Rosalind Avenue and South Street.
“It's based significantly on crash data, but it's also based on volume and anecdotal information from our engineers and our police,” said Mike Rhodes, city of Orlando.
The expansion comes as cities across Central Florida and the state look to take photo enforcement cameras down.
But a recent study done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows cities that terminated such programs saw an increase in fatal crashes.
“We think it validates a lot of what we're doing and what we are thinking, but it's not the only reason why we are doing it,” Rhodes said.
The Insurance Institute is a nonprofit funded by insurance companies.
Data shows Orlando was the only Central Florida city included in the study.
Smaller cities like Daytona Beach, Palm Bay and Cocoa Beach were not analyzed, even though the cameras were turned off.
An officer with the Palm Bay police traffic division told Channel 9 the city hasn't seen an increase in any crashes at former red-light camera intersections since the cameras were taken down nearly two years ago.
“It makes you wonder why they included some cities and excluded some other cities. Is it because they included what was most favorable?” red-light camera opponent David Shaw said.
ORLANDO, Fla. — After the city turns on the 11 cameras, 17 others are expected to go online, but that depends on a state review.
Cox Media Group
