Port St. Lucie police Chief Leo Niemczyk’s proposal to install red light cameras at the city’s most dangerous intersections has been approved by the city council but will need a second round of voting.Among the 10 most dangerous intersections in Port St. Lucie, Cashmere and St. Lucie West rank number one, making it a potential site for a red light camera.”We’ve seen the total of 264 crashes since 2022, 75 of which are right-angle crashes, and 52 red light citations have been written at that location,” Niemczyk said.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 NewsNiemczyk noted that there have been twelve deadly crashes in the city this year, a number higher than in 2024, with 70% influenced by right-angle or T-bone crashes.”The underlying causes of our traffic fatalities are twofold. One would be DUI, and the other would be right angle crashes. Red light cameras are designed to prevent right-angle crashes,” Niemczyk said.Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard is one of the intersections where red light cameras could soon be installed. City council members questioned the effectiveness of the cameras, expressing concern that the numbers might look worse because people stop short to avoid the red light.Niemczyk responded, “The right-angle crashes do reduce. What does increase slightly is the rear-end crashes because people have a tendency to panic stop, however overall the number of crashes at the intersection slightly decreases.”While all but one council member voted yes to approve the plan, they agreed that action is necessary.”Let’s be honest, if we’re being totally truthful, most of the crashes that we have and most of the problems that we have are a result of bad driver behavior,” a council member said.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.The topic is on the agenda for the next city council meeting, where members will vote again.TEN THAT THEY’RE LOOKING AT: SW GATLIN BOULEVARD & SW PORT ST LUCIE BOULEVARDS US HIGHWAY 1 & SE PORT ST LUCIE BOULEVARDSW BAYSHORE BOULEVARD & SW CROSSTOWN PARKWAYCASHMERE BOULEVARD & ST LUCIE WEST BOULEVARDSW TRADITION PARKWAY & SW VILLAGE PARKWAYCALIFORNIA BOULEVARD & ST LUCIE WEST BOULEVARDSW BAYSHORE BOULEVARD & SW PORT ST LUCIE BOULEVARDPEACOCK BOULEVARD & ST LUCIE WEST BOULEVARDSW GATLIN BOULEVARD & SW SAVONA BOULEVARDS US HIGHWAY 1 & SE LENNARD ROAD

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. —

Port St. Lucie police Chief Leo Niemczyk’s proposal to install red light cameras at the city’s most dangerous intersections has been approved by the city council but will need a second round of voting.

Among the 10 most dangerous intersections in Port St. Lucie, Cashmere and St. Lucie West rank number one, making it a potential site for a red light camera.

“We’ve seen the total of 264 crashes since 2022, 75 of which are right-angle crashes, and 52 red light citations have been written at that location,” Niemczyk said.

Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News

Niemczyk noted that there have been twelve deadly crashes in the city this year, a number higher than in 2024, with 70% influenced by right-angle or T-bone crashes.

“The underlying causes of our traffic fatalities are twofold. One would be DUI, and the other would be right angle crashes. Red light cameras are designed to prevent right-angle crashes,” Niemczyk said.

Southwest Port St. Lucie Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard is one of the intersections where red light cameras could soon be installed. City council members questioned the effectiveness of the cameras, expressing concern that the numbers might look worse because people stop short to avoid the red light.

Niemczyk responded, “The right-angle crashes do reduce. What does increase slightly is the rear-end crashes because people have a tendency to panic stop, however overall the number of crashes at the intersection slightly decreases.”

While all but one council member voted yes to approve the plan, they agreed that action is necessary.

“Let’s be honest, if we’re being totally truthful, most of the crashes that we have and most of the problems that we have are a result of bad driver behavior,” a council member said.

Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.

The topic is on the agenda for the next city council meeting, where members will vote again.

TEN THAT THEY’RE LOOKING AT:

SW GATLIN BOULEVARD & SW PORT ST LUCIE BOULEVARDS US HIGHWAY 1 & SE PORT ST LUCIE BOULEVARDSW BAYSHORE BOULEVARD & SW CROSSTOWN PARKWAYCASHMERE BOULEVARD & ST LUCIE WEST BOULEVARDSW TRADITION PARKWAY & SW VILLAGE PARKWAYCALIFORNIA BOULEVARD & ST LUCIE WEST BOULEVARDSW BAYSHORE BOULEVARD & SW PORT ST LUCIE BOULEVARDPEACOCK BOULEVARD & ST LUCIE WEST BOULEVARDSW GATLIN BOULEVARD & SW SAVONA BOULEVARDS US HIGHWAY 1 & SE LENNARD ROAD