FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno drivers could soon see red light cameras at intersections across the city.
The Fresno City Council voted to move forward with a three-year automated red light camera pilot program aimed at reducing deadly crashes and improving traffic safety.
City leaders say the program is the first step in addressing what they call a growing problem, drivers running red lights.
They say this proposal is the first step in tackling that issue,
“No one should lose a loved one, suffer a serious injury, or have their life changed forever, because someone was in a hurry to beat a red light,” Perea said.
Council President Nelson Esparza says many drivers have become used to seeing vehicles run red lights, creating what he calls a dangerous pattern.
“I think we’ve become so accustomed to seeing this that many of us, including myself, we hesitate before entering an intersection,” Esparza said.
City leaders point to data from Fresno’s Vision Zero Action Plan, showing 846 people were killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes between 2019 and 2023.
They say during that same time, injuries and deaths tied to drivers failing to obey signals or stop signs nearly tripled.
“The reality behind the data are people and families whose lives are forever changed,” Esparza said. “It is injuries that affect people for the rest of their lives and empty seats at the dinner table.”
Under California’s new Senate Bill 720, the cameras would capture vehicle license plates, not drivers’ faces.
The cameras could only be installed at intersections where traffic data shows a need for additional enforcement.
City leaders say the program is about changing behavior, not generating revenue.
“I do want to be clear, we do not want to write more tickets. What we want is to change behavior and to save lives,” Esparza said.
Any money collected beyond the cost of running the program would go back into roadway safety improvements.
However, the cameras are not going up yet. Over the next 90 days, city staff will identify possible locations, select a vendor, estimate costs, and bring a full plan back to council.
There is currently no timeline for when the cameras would be installed.
A report from ‘Streets Are for Everyone’ ranked Fresno County among the most dangerous counties in California for red light and intersection violations among counties with more than 750,000 residents.
A similar program is already being tested in Mountain House in San Joaquin County.
A spokesperson there says the city launched its program in April as a 60-day trial.
The city installed 14 cameras and has issued about 3,000 citations so far. The first fine is $100, with penalties increasing for additional violations.