Richmond nears making red light cameras operational at two intersections

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Construction crews will soon have red light cameras operational at two intersections -- Main Street and 25th Street, and Belvidere and Cary Street -- according to a spokesperson with Richmond's Department of Public Works (DPW).

According to DPW, residents will likely see the infrastructure work done at the end of this week, and Dominion Energy will turn the power on soon thereafter.

Richmond officials say they will let the public know when the cameras are running, which depends on the weather and maneuvering around existing utilities.

The initiative is part of the city's Safety Camera Program. There are eight other intersections where red light cameras will be put up, and they will likely all be operating by the beginning of next year.

When approaching these intersections, signs will be out letting drivers know that a camera is coming, and if they run through the light, a $50 citation will be given to the vehicle owner.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, hundreds of deaths per year are blamed on collisions from running red lights.

"Where I'm from, it catches a lot of people that just want to run those red lights. They want to get through the very last minute, and then it can cause and accident," said Ann Uhalie, a resident who supports the cameras. "That's what you don't want to have. So, I'm 100% for them."

To prevent life-threatening wrecks, Richmond DPW encourages all drivers to treat every red light as if it has a camera.