Red light cameras are coming to the city of Pittsburgh.
The city council said it will make the streets safer.
But you might be surprised to know who ran a red light.
“When the light is yellow, I’ve noticed that everyone goes through it,” said Sarita Pearce, a downtown pedestrian.
It wasn’t long before our cameras spotted cars and SUVs running red lights in Downtown Pittsburgh and pedestrians with their heads on a turntable.
“When the light turns red, I’m going to wait and make sure the car stops before I leave,” said another pedestrian.
“If the light turns red, they still go through. Buses do it all the time,” Pearce said.
And we saw a lot of Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses running red lights.
“Every time. I sit on the buses when they run red lights,” Pearce said.
We showed the video of buses repeatedly running red lights in the city to Pittsburgh City Council Member Erika Strassburger, who is behind the effort to bring red light cameras to the city.
“That’s egregious,” Councilmember Strassburger said as she watched the video.
She acknowledged that bus drivers have a difficult job, with a tight schedule.
But she said seeing bus drivers running red lights is a “major concern.”
“I hope that ultimately bus drivers have more freedom and a little more wiggle room in their schedules so that you don’t feel the need to run red lights,” Strassburger said.
A PRT spokesperson told 11 Investigates that they are now working with the city “to figure out how the cameras interact with buses — specifically 60-foot buses, which are significantly longer than the average car, truck, SUV or minivan .”
Strassburger said PRT will be treated like any other driver.
Drivers will be fined $100, similar to a parking ticket, with no impact on driver’s license or insurance.
And PRT said the operator will be responsible for the fine unless the violation is found to have been wrongfully committed.
The spokesperson said the PRT would then assist the operator in fighting the fine and the violation.
Pedestrians said PRT should not receive any special treatment or considerations.
‘I’m on the bus. That is my life they are putting in danger,” Pearce said.
PRT declined to comment on the buses we saw running red lights.
“The sole purpose of this is not to give people tickets. If you drive safely, you will not get a ticket or a fine. It is intended to make people pay attention and respect the speed limit. Don’t rush through the red light,” Strassburger said.
Over a five-year period, drivers running red lights in the city of Pittsburgh caused 759 crashes and seven fatalities.
“I think about my child and so many other children out there. It must be safe for them to walk down the street and play,” Strassburger said.
“It would make it a lot safer,” said another pedestrian.
But 11 Researchers also found that fewer cities are using red light cameras.
It has fallen from 500 ten years ago to 337 today.
But other cities, such as New York and Washington DC, have recently added more cameras.
There is also conflicting data on the impact.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said red light cameras reduced the fatal crash rate by 21%, but a study by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles showed an increase in crashes, especially rear-end collisions, at intersections with red light cameras.
Earle asked Strassburger about that report.
“It will be very important to choose exactly the right vendor and ensure our implementation is accurate,” said Strassburger, who added that the city will monitor the crash data and make adjustments as necessary.
Some drives have suggested this is just a way for the city to make money.
Investigators asked Strassburger about that and she said the city gets enough money to cover the cost of the program, but the rest of the fines go directly to PennDOT and they use the money for transportation improvement grants across the state.
Pittsburgh will become the fifth municipality in Pennsylvania to use red light cameras.
All municipalities send the fines to that PennDOT fund.
Strassburger said Pittsburgh has already received some of that grant money thanks to the red light cameras in those other Pennsylvania cities.
For starters, the city of Pittsburgh plans to equip up to five intersections with red light cameras next year.
Strassburger said the city hopes to expand the program.
Signs will be placed on the traffic lights that the cameras are running.
And for the first two months, drivers only receive a warning.
After that it will be a $100 fine.
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