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THE Ministry of Transport Seeks to Eliminate Use of Automated Traffic Enforcement Cameras in Washington, D.C.
The proposal, which was sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget, would result in a multimillion-dollar revenue loss but would likely be celebrated by drivers frustrated by tickets they received because of the cameras, according to Politico.
The initiative aims to ban speed, red light and stop sign cameras across the District as part of the upcoming surface transportation bill that Congress wants to pass this year, the outlet reported.
According to the proposal, the move would “prohibit the operation of automated surveillance cameras in the District of Columbia.”
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The Department of Transportation is seeking to eliminate the use of automated traffic enforcement cameras in Washington, DC. (/Getty Images)
DOT spokesperson Nate Sizemore said in a statement to Politico that the agency is “constantly reviewing a wide range of preliminary transportation policy options. Many policy options are currently under internal review.”
Since adopting red light cameras in 1999, the district has increased the use of red light and other cameras. There are now nearly 550 active cameras in Washington.
The automated safety camera program enforces various traffic violations, which extend to unauthorized vehicles operating in bus lanes and truck routes.
Violators face fines ranging from $100 to $500, with heavier fines for drivers who pass a school bus with flashing lights or drive more than 25 mph over the speed limit.
The proposal “would prohibit the operation of automated surveillance cameras in the District of Columbia.” (/Getty Images)
Previous efforts on Capitol aimed at reducing the use of traffic cameras in the District has not yet become law.
A House spending bill for fiscal year 2026 would have prohibited DC from using funds to conduct automated traffic enforcement, but that legislation never came up for a vote. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., also introduced a proposal to remove the district’s authority to use automated traffic enforcement systems.
“Automated traffic enforcement is used to generate revenue, not to improve safety,” Perry said in a statement to Politico. “Cities like Washington, DC, which rely on automated traffic enforcement revenue to balance their budgets, are proof that this policy is not about the safety of residents and visitors; it is about fleecing people without representation or due process. It is un-American and should be abolished.”
THE Washington DC Government argues that its program is “designed to create safer roads for all road users in the District of Columbia,” but that the system also contributes significantly to the District’s revenue, Politico reported.
The proposal seeks to ban speed, red light and stop sign cameras districtwide. (Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via /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 spokesperson for the D.C. CFO’s office, told the news outlet.
More than a decade ago, Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero, an initiative to reduce roadway injuries and deaths to zero, and the addition of traffic cameras is part of that effort.
“District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero in 2014 to inspire and transform DC’s traffic safety efforts, and aim for a goal of zero deaths or serious injuries on our streets. Since then, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has turned its attention to designing streets that are safe for everyone, working closely with community members to identify problems and find solutions,” the Vision Zero website reads.
