Bensalem Township has become the first municipality in Bucks County to approve the implementation of automated red light enforcement systems at two of its intersections.
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The decision, approved by township council last month, aims to address problematic intersections and curb the number of crashes.
“In a lot of areas, red lights have just become an option. Drivers are treating them like stop signs,” Bugsch said, noting it needs to stop.
The intersections selected for the program are Knights and Street roads and Route 1 and Old Lincoln Highway, according to township officials.
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The two intersections will be tested with automated red light enforcement as part of a pilot program, Bensalem Township police Lt. Robert Bugsch said.
Philadelphia and Abington Township in Montgomery County are the only two municipalities in the state to have automated red light enforcement systems. Abington Township, which has nearly as many residents as Bensalem Township, has systems installed at Susquehanna and Welsh roads on Old York Road, and at Moreland and Fitzwatertown roads.
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The introduction of the automated red light enforcement systems has been under consideration for some time, according to Bugsch.
Bensalem Township is modeling its program after Abington Township’s enforcement program, which has been in place since 2014.
The same company that provided Abington Township’s systems will install the equipment in Bensalem Township at no cost to the municipality.
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Once operational within the next two months, a 60-day amnesty period will be in effect. During the period, violators will receive warning notices instead of tickets.
After the grace period, drivers caught running red lights will be issued a $100 civil ticket with no points added to their license.
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The revenue generated from these citations will allow the company responsible for installing the systems to recoup the installation cost, officials said.
Bugsch explained the automated red light enforcement systems will not automatically issue citations when triggered. Instead, the violation will be reviewed by a police officer who will determine its validity.
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Those accused of violating will also have the choice to request a hearing where they can present their side of the story to the attending officer.
The accused violator, if they continue to disagree with the citation, can take the case to district court, which was rarely used in Abington Township, according to Bugsch.
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The lieutenant told council that Abington Township has seen success with reducing crashes at the intersections with the automated red light enforcement systems installed.
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