BARTOW, Fla. — Starting this month, 16 red-light cameras will be up and running across the city of Bartow.
What You Need To Know
- Bartow will activate 16 red-light cameras at eight major intersections on April 21
- City officials and local business owners, like Martha Stephens, support the program, citing frequent accidents and dangerous driving behavior
- While some residents support the initiative, others are pushing back, calling the cameras excessive and inaccurate
The cameras, operated by Verra Mobility, will be placed at the following eight intersections:
- Wilson Ave. at Van Fleet Dr. / SR 60
- W. Main St. / SR 60 at Crown Ave.
- Holland Pkwy. / US 17 / US 98 at Van Fleet Ave. / US 98
- Broadway Ave. / US 98 at E. Van Fleet Dr. / SR 60
- Holland Pkwy. / US 17 at Main St.
- S. Holland Pkwy. / US 17 at W. Wabash St.
- Holland Pkwy. / US 17 at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
- S. Holland Pkwy. / US 17 at E. Georgia St.
City leaders plan to launch the program Monday, April 21. Officials released video showing vehicles, including semi-trucks, speeding through red lights at several of the main intersections. Though the footage was recorded during a traffic study last year, Martha Stephens, who owns a food truck on State Road 60, says it’s a perfect example of what can happen on the road.
“The traffic is really crazy at times. People run the red lights and even though we have the arrows, they still run them,” she said…