The township brought in $830,000 in red-light camera ticket revenue last year
The red-light cameras went dark in Brick today, as the township's mayor became the first in New Jersey to reject the controversial but lucrative traffic devices that have ensnared hundreds of thousands of motorists.
State Assemblyman Declan O'Scanlon (R-Monmouth), a vocal critic of the cameras, couldn't let the occasion pass without a commemoration. So he stood under a camera during its last day Monday and displayed a banner that read "Good Riddance!"
Brick Mayor John Ducey, saying he was not convinced the cameras were improving safety in his town, pulled the plug on red-light cameras at all three Brick intersections that had the automated traffic cops.
The contract with Arizona camera vendor American Traffic Solutions was not renewed.
They are the only red-light cameras in the Shore region, and charged vehicle owners $85 per violation for either going through the red light or making a rolling right turn on red.
Ducey said visitors to the area who received violation notices vowed not to return as long as the cameras were in Brick.
"I want to welcome the out-of-town drivers back to shop and eat in our local businesses again," the mayor said.
The three cameras were at Route 70 and Chambers Bridge Road (Route 549), Route 70 and Brick Boulevard (Route 631) and Brick Boulevard and Chambers Bridge Road.
Ducey said at two of the three intersections, rear-end crashes and right-angle accidents increased after the cameras were installed — double the accidents in the case of Brick Boulevard and Chambers Bridge Road.
Brick took in $830,000 in ticket revenue in 2013 from the cameras.
Minus the three intersections in Brick, there are now red-light cameras at 73 New Jersey intersections in 24 municipalities in 10 counties.
"This is a historic day on a number of fronts," O'Scanlon said. "Most obvious is the end of the program. But perhaps more importantly, we should today celebrate an elected official — Mayor John Ducey — who chose to simply do the right thing, rather than come up with any excuse to continue to steal from his constituents."
