WINTER PARK, Fla. — Revenue from red-light cameras in the city of Winter Park increased during 2016 compared to previous years.
This year’s amount, nearly $976,000, was the highest the city has collected since 2013, when motorists were fined $1.1 million.
Motorist Gelisa Sullivan said a recent red-light ticket in the city cost her $158.
“I was on my way home from work,” she said. “I had the yellow and was going through and it instantly turned red within a flash of a second.”
Sullivan said she didn’t bother contesting the ticket because her car had been captured on camera.
“It's on camera,” she said. “What are you going to do about it?”
Wes Hamil, the city’s finance director, said no new cameras were added in 2016.
“We had some more tickets,” he said.
The Winter Park Police Department said the increase could be due to more motorists using U.S. 17-92 to bypass construction on Interstate 4.
During a City Commission meeting last month, Commissioner Gred Seidel expressed concern about the increase.
“Why are we getting more money on the red-light cameras?” Seidel said. “We want the money to go down, right? We don't want people to run the red lights.”
Sullivan said she won’t run a red light again.
“I just can't afford to give away money like that,” she said. “So yeah, I stop.”