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Red light fines hit Philly's Eakins Oval: What to know
Running red lights at the busy intersection of Eakins Oval and Kelly Drive by the Philadelphia Art Museum will cost you starting on Thursday. Here's what we know.
PHILADELPHIA - Drivers at the busy intersection of Eakins Oval and Kelly Drive by the Philadelphia Art Museum should be prepared for a new enforcement measure.
Red light cameras to enforce fines
For the past two months, red light runners have only received warnings in the mail.
However, starting Thursday, those who run red lights will face a $100 fine.
This busy intersection is notorious for impatient drivers, and the fines aim to curb this behavior.
What they're saying:
Bharat Gupta, a local who frequently walks his dog in the area, supports the fines.
"Walking my dog, sometimes I feel drivers are very aggressive, and it saves everyone. If you get a fine, you're probably not going to commit it again, so I think it's a great thing," said Gupta.
Shavonne Jones-Matthews agrees, emphasizing the importance of safety.
"The Art Museum is right there. A lot of people walk, so it's more safety and a lot of tourists come specifically to this point, so that 100 dollar ticket is going to make them follow the law more cause they're not going to want to pay the ticket," said Jones-Matthews.
Impact of red light cameras
The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) has installed 156 red light cameras across 36 locations in the city.
The goal is to save lives and improve safety.
Corinne O'Connor, Deputy Executive Director of the PPA, noted the effectiveness of these cameras.
"Normally it takes like a year or two to change that behavior, but the majority of the red light cameras that have been installed, we've seen a decrease of red light running by 54 to like 60 percent," said O'Connor.
Amee Patel, who runs by the intersection daily, expressed her concerns about safety.
"I was marathon training last year and I was very concerned, running, cause I would see people running the red light even though you're able to cross. I think it's a good idea," said Patel.
What you can do:
Drivers will see signs reading "Photo Enforced" to alert them to the presence of red light cameras.
If you receive a violation, it will include a PIN number directing you to a website where you can view a six-second video of your vehicle going through the red light—or not.
The Source: Information from the Philadelphia Parking Authority.