WINTER PARK, Fla. — Winter Park is set to renew its red-light camera contract even after Eyewitness News found the city was shortchanging drivers on yellow-light times at red-light camera intersections.
Channel 9's Racquel Asa, who took the error to the city's attention last year, asked what's being done to make sure the same thing doesn't happen again.
One of the red-light cameras sits at the intersection of Aloma and Lakemont avenues. If the city decides to renew its contract with camera company Gatso, that camera would remain for another three years, which doesn’t sit well with some Winter Park residents.
"I think they should take a second look at that, said resident David Shaw. "This is an unfair program. They are all unfair, and they target all unsafe drivers for petty little technical fouls."
The controversy surrounding yellow-light times at camera intersections in Winter Park showed they were shorter than they were supposed to be. Channel 9 exposed the situation in February 2014.
The city has since fixed the issue and tossed out all the questionable tickets, including the ones issued at Lakemont and Aloma last year. In total, 550 tickets worth nearly $90,000 were tossed out.
Asa asked the city what it's doing now with its red-light camera program to make sure similar errors don’t happen.
A spokesperson for the city said Gatso and Winter Park are looking at yellow-light times on the video before violations are issued.
Shaw, however, thinks the city should cut its ties with Gatso, especially since other cities are starting to take the cameras down.
Renewing the three-year contract with Gatso will cost the city more than $400,000. The vote to renew the contract has not yet happened.
WFTV
