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# Say ‘cheese,’ motorists
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/say-cheese-motorists/
- Published: 2007-05-03T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T00:40:35.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: local, Pico, #archive-import

*SM City Council to consider red-light cameras*

PICO BOULEVARD Drivers here will get a pass over the next 30 days. After that, anyone caught running a red light at Bundy Drive and Pico Boulevard will receive a traffic ticket, courtesy a new series of red light cameras.

Westside Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, along with representatives from the LAPD, unveiled their latest addition to the red light camera arsenal during Wednesday morning’s commute, urging drivers to slow down when they see a yellow light — not speed up.

Those who fail to stop at a red light face a $381 fine. The fine for an illegal right turn on red is $159.

“This intersection has become a significant traffic safety issue,” Rosendahl said as he stood with traffic officers near the corner of Bundy and Pico.“There were 64 collisions here in the last two years that were caused by drivers running red lights.”

The location is the 14th to be targeted by city officials. The goal is to place cameras at 32 intersections, said Rosendahl, who represents the 11th District, which includes the communities of Brentwood, Mar Vista, Pacific Palisades and Venice.

The cameras at Bundy and Pico are the first to be installed in the 11th District.

LAPD Capt. Carol Aborn-Khoury, commanding officer of the West Los Angeles area, said there are more traffic fatalities than there are homicides within her jurisdiction.

“Red light cameras have proven to be a valuable resource for us and can have a tremendous impact on problem intersections, and this has been one,”Aborn-Khoury said. “Hopefully, this will help improve traffic flow as well as safety.”

Since taking office two years ago, the councilman has moved forward with a traffic management plan that includes installing left turn signals at congested intersections, such as the one placed at Pico and Bundy roughly five months ago.

Since the left turn signal was put in, Rosendahl said the flow of traffic has improved for hundreds of employees who commute to Santa Monica. Rosendahl has also used $11 million in traffic mitigation funds to synchronize more than 160 intersections.

His next goals include widening Lincoln Boulevard and extending the Green Line to LAX.

“We are moving very aggressively to help bring some relief,” Rosendahl said.

Representatives with Nestor Traffic Systems, the company the supplied the cameras at a cost of roughly $8,000, said new technology allows the cameras to record multiple images of a red-light violator, whereas in the past, cameras typically took only two pictures of the car, one from the front and one from the back.

The Santa Monica City Council recently instructed city staff to evaluate the latest technology used on red-light cameras and to return with a recommendation that could include creating a pilot program targeting a small number of intersections.

The request to study the issue was placed on the March 20th council agenda by Councilman Bob Holbrook, who said he noticed several violations while driving about town and was concerned about public safety.

The Santa Monica Police Department is studying the issue and will be preparing a report for the council, said SMPD Lt. Alex Padilla.

Studies have shown that red-light cameras are effective in reducing red light violations and right-angle crashes. Throughout the U.S., communities using automated enforcement typically experience a 40 percent to 60 percent reduction in violations and a 25 percent to 35 percent reduction in right-angle crashes, according to figures provided by the LAPD.

Critics of the cameras claim they violate one’s privacy, are strictly placed to make money, not protect public safety, and that they can cause accidents by forcing people to slam on their brakes when they see a yellow light.

Red light cameras have been in operation worldwide for more than 30 years and were first introduced to the U.S. over a decade ago. There are presently more than 120 red-light programs in operation in 19 states and Washington, D.C.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 3, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/050307.pdf?ref=smdp.com)