Rules Committee advances MTA surveillance policy for red-light and no-turn enforcement cameras

The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to forward to the full board a municipal ordinance approving the Municipal Transportation Agency’s continued use of automated red-light and no-turn enforcement cameras, after a presentation from MTA staff and a brief round of questions from supervisors.

The program, first installed in 1996 and updated most recently in 2019, aims to reduce collisions and unsafe driving that occur when drivers run red lights or make illegal turns. Monica Giese, the program manager, told the committee the system uses 3D traffic radar and signal-state monitoring and “does not enter enforcement mode until the light changes from yellow to red.” When a potential violation is detected the system captures three still…