City approves 5‑year red‑light camera contract citing rising traffic fatalities; public and experts urge redesign alternatives

The Modesto City Council approved a five‑year purchasing agreement with American Traffic Solutions (doing business as Verra Mobility) for automated red‑light photo enforcement technology, authorizing the use of a cooperative purchase through the Houston‑Galveston Area Council of Governments (HGAC). The contract total was capped at $3,691,891 over five years; staff estimated an initial annual cost of about $703,218 and $5,250 per month per location.

Lieutenant T.J. Moffett of the Modesto Police Department said the city ranks poorly in the Office of Traffic Safety reports, citing a troubling trend in fatal crashes: "In 2024 we had 21 fatalities," he told the council, and the department reported 12 fatalities year‑to‑date in 2025 as of July. Moffett said the department has expanded enforcement and seeks automated enforcement as one tool in a broader traffic‑safety strategy.

Under the proposed…