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The Department of Transportation is trying to eliminate the use of automated traffic enforcement cameras in Washington, DC
The proposal, which was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget, would result in millions of dollars in lost revenue but would likely be celebrated by drivers frustrated by traffic tickets they received because of the cameras, according to POLITICO.
The initiative seeks to ban speed cameras, red light cameras and stop sign cameras across the district as part of the upcoming surface transportation bill that Congress plans to pass this year, the outlet reported.
According to the proposal, this move would “prohibit the operation of automated traffic camera enforcement in the District of Columbia.”
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The Department of Transportation is trying to eliminate the use of automated traffic enforcement cameras in Washington, DC (Getty Images / Getty Images)
DOT spokesman Nate Sizemore said in a statement to POLITICO that the agency is “continually exploring a wide range of preliminary transportation policy options. Many policy options are currently under internal review.”
Since the introduction of red light cameras in 1999, the district has increased the use of red light cameras and other cameras. There are now nearly 550 active enforcement cameras in Washington.
The Automated Speed Cameras Program enforces a variety of traffic violations, which extend to unauthorized vehicles operating in bus lanes and non-truck routes.
Violators can face fines ranging from $100-$500, with higher fines for drivers who pass a school bus with flashing lights or drive more than 25 miles per hour over the speed limit.
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The proposal would “prohibit the operation of automated traffic camera enforcement in the District of Columbia.” (Getty Images / Getty Images)
Previous efforts on Capitol Hill to limit the use of traffic cameras in the District have not yet become law.
A 2026 budget bill from the House of Representatives would have barred D.C. from using money to implement automated traffic enforcement, but that legislation never came before the House for a vote. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., has also introduced a proposal to eliminate the district’s authority to use automated traffic enforcement systems.
“Automated traffic enforcement is used to generate revenue, not to increase safety,” Perry said in a statement to POLITICO. “Cities like Washington, DC, which rely on automated revenue from traffic enforcement to balance their budgets, are proof that the policy is not about the safety of residents and visitors; it is about exposing people without representation or due process. It is un-American and must be abolished.”
The D.C. government claims its program is “designed to create safer roads for all road users in the District of Columbia,” but the system also contributes significantly to the District’s revenues, POLITICO reported.
The proposal seeks to ban speed cameras, red light cameras and stop sign cameras throughout the district. (Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
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Washington generated $139.5 million from automated traffic enforcement cameras in fiscal year 2023, $213.3 million in fiscal year 2024 and $267.3 million in fiscal year 2025, Eric Balliet, a spokesman for D.C.’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer, told the newspaper.
More than a decade ago, Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero, an initiative to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities on the roads to zero, and adding traffic cameras was part of that effort.
“Mayor Muriel Bowser of the District of Columbia launched Vision Zero in 2014 to inspire and transform D.C.’s traffic safety efforts and set our sights on a goal of zero deaths or serious injuries on our streets. Since then, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has moved to design streets that are safe for all, working closely with community members to identify problems and create solutions,” according to the Vision Zero website.
