Charlotte is one vote from bringing back red-light cameras to 10 intersections
Charlotte leaders took a step Monday toward bringing back red-light cameras by advancing a pilot program they say could help curb the city’s rising number of deadly crashes.
Members of the Charlotte City Council’s safety committee voted unanimously to send a proposal for a one-year, 10-intersection pilot program to the full council. They also want to pursue a separate legislative strategy that could reduce the city’s share of operating costs.
The discussion comes as Charlotte officials search for ways to reverse a rise in deadly crashes on city streets. The Charlotte Observer previously reported that 81 people died on Charlotte streets during the 2025 fiscal year, while another 111 suffered serious injuries.
“I think sometimes we as council, we get labeled that we take a long time to take action, and I think this is a great opportunity for us to take action,” Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell said before making a motion. “Today we have heard loud and clear from the citizens who would like for us to look at this program.”
City transportation staff told council members the proposed pilot would focus on 10 intersections selected using crash data tied to fatal collisions and pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Debbie Smith, director of the Charlotte Department of Transportation, said staff narrowed the list from 39 intersections where fatal crashes had occurred in the last five years.
The proposed program would cost roughly $5,000 per month per intersection and about $600,000 overall for the pilot, according to city staff. Under current North Carolina law, Charlotte is required to send 90% of citation revenue to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, with the remaining 10% retained by the city for administrative costs. Citations would cost drivers who drive through a red light $75.
Staff estimated the city would need to cover about $150,000 annually beyond the revenue it could keep under the current framework. Transportation officials said the city could consider paying for that shortfall through existing Vision Zero money. Vision Zero is the initiative striving to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries.
The committee also discussed a second option that would allow Charlotte to reimburse itself for operational costs while still sending all citation revenue to CMS through an interlocal arrangement. That approach would require action from the General Assembly.
One council member questioned whether red light cameras were the best use of limited safety dollars. Though he voted yes, council member Ed Driggs repeatedly pressed staff on the program’s cost-effectiveness and whether the city could save more lives by investing the same money into other Vision Zero safety improvements.
“That strikes me as a very high cost in terms of the reduction in collisions, and I would always argue that maybe we can use that money in Vision Zero to save lives more productively. I’m not sure this is the best way to improve safety at that cost,” he said. “I’m not fully convinced yet.”
Transportation officials argued the cameras could reduce the types of severe crashes most associated with red-light running.
Using federal crash-analysis tools and peer-city data, staff projected the cameras could reduce severe angle crashes at the selected intersections by roughly 50%. Smith said Charlotte already implemented many lower-cost engineering fixes, including LED traffic signals and signal timing adjustments, leaving driver behavior as a major remaining challenge.
“In many circumstances, the problem that we’re working with is really driver behavior, not engineering solutions,” Smith said.
Officials also clarified citations would function as civil penalties similar to parking tickets rather than criminal violations. Citations would not appear on a driver’s DMV history and would not be treated like traditional traffic tickets by insurance companies.
Charlotte previously operated a red-light camera program before discontinuing it in 2006. The Observer previously reported the program became financially unworkable after court rulings required most citation revenue to go to schools.
The following are proposed pilot intersections:
- Graham Street and Norris Avenue
- University City Boulevard and Interstate 85 ramps
- Steele Creek Road and Westinghouse Boulevard
- North Tryon Street and University City Boulevard
- Central Avenue and Sharon Amity Road
- WT Harris Boulevard and North Tryon Street
- South Tryon Street and Arrowood Road
- South Boulevard and West Boulevard
- Central Avenue and Kilborne Drive
- 36th Street and The Plaza
