Wilmington’s red-light camera program has hit a legal drinking age – first introduced to Delaware’s largest city in 2001 – but whether the program is focused on improving traffic safety or bolstering the city’s coffers remains a community debate.
“The program would work better if the cameras were better marked,” one Facebook commenter wrote on Delaware Online/The News Journal’s page recently. “Putting a small sign at the intersection causes me to believe that it’s less about public safety and more about collecting fines.”
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Each year, Wilmington collects over $1.5 million in revenue after deducting expenses for administering the program. Since 2016, the city has averaged about $1.8 million annually in revenue, according to the city’s annual reports on the program.
City officials expect to write off $1.6 million for Fiscal Year 2023 compared to the current year because of the number of uncollected tickets.
Here are 10 things you should know about Wilmington’s red-light cameras:
1. Most tickets
MLK Boulevard (westbound) at North Market Street doled out the most tickets (5,797) in 2021.
2. Most crashes
West 2nd Street at North Adams Street had the most crashes (25) in 2021.
3. No crashes here
Five intersections saw zero crashes in 2021 and were removed from the program.
4. Most-improved for red-light running
Lancaster Avenue (eastbound) at South Cleveland Avenue saw the most improvement, with a 49% decline in tickets issued compared to 2020.
5. Fewer tickets here
Of the 46 intersections with red-light cameras in Wilmington, 17 of them saw declines in tickets issued from 2020 to 2021.
6. On the upswing
More tickets were issued in 2021 than in either 2020 or 2019, with 54,360 citations. (The city’s annual report inaccurately adds one intersection’s citations twice)
7. 2021 revenue
Those violations provided Wilmington with $2,188,152 in revenue after deducting expenses in 2021.
8. Proof not provided
The city says the cameras are placed at the most dangerous intersections in Wilmington but did not provide a list of crash numbers for all intersections.
9. No goals
Wilmington officials did not provide a target or goal for intersection safety improvements to warrant red-light camera removal.
10. It all could change
Red-light camera intersections could change in 2023 when the city re-evaluates the program.
Got a tip? Contact Amanda Fries at afries@delawareonline.com, or by calling 302-598-5507. Follow her on Twitter at @mandy_fries.
