Lafayette Live: Council Approves Redflex Agreement For Another Year (Audio)

Red-light cameras, speed vans, and the like will continue to seek out Lafayette motorists who speed through red lights, right turns and neighborhoods throughout the Hub City.

LCG Council Chairman Jay Castille, and District 8 Councilwoman Liz Webb Hebert, spoke with Bernadette Lee, and guest host Carol Ross, on Acadiana's Morning News Wednesday to discuss exactly what a one-year extension in the agreement between LCG and Redflex Systems means to drivers.

Castille said the extension for the Redflex program, approved by the council last night will allow time to consider new ideas about the future of the Hub City's automated traffic monitoring systems.

Hebert said she voted to approve the extension in order to retain the system that keeps Lafayette streets safe.

The council may consider bringing the program "in-house" for the Lafayette Consolidated Government to operate and maintain. Under the current agreement, LCG receives 60 percent of the revenue coming in from paid violations; the remaining 40 percent goes to the Redflex Traffic Systems. If the municipality operates the system, LCG may potentially earn about an extra $1 million annually, if the operating and maintenance costs do not exceed what the city earns under the current agreement.

Hebert said she would like to see the program brought in-house, not only for the increase in funds but also because LCG could place the cameras and speed vans where they think they are most needed.

Castille, who said he'd prefer to have policemen and women monitoring traffic on site, said the extra year approved by the extension gives more time to determine how to make adjustments to the program or scrap it altogether.