Lathrop Council directs six-month trial of red-light cameras at key intersections

The Lathrop City Council on Jan. 12 directed staff to pursue a six-month trial of automated red-light enforcement at three city intersections and to include two additional intersections in the contract terms for future consideration. City Engineer Brad Taylor presented options and evidence supporting enforcement pilots, and Police Chief Stephen Sealy described successful programs in nearby jurisdictions.

Public commenter Adriana Lopez urged the council to prioritize traffic safety on Lathrop Road and requested accident data for that corridor; the council considered her concerns during the discussion. By consensus the council authorized staff to proceed with a trial at River Islands Parkway and McKee Boulevard; Lathrop Road and 5th Street/Woodfield Drive; and Golden Valley Parkway and Spartan Way, and to include Golden Valley Parkway and River Islands Parkway and Lathrop Road and Harlan Road in the contract scope. Brad Taylor was directed to return with final contract terms for council approval.

Council did not take a formal roll-call vote on the trial; the direction was recorded as a council consensus. The action is a procedural direction to staff and does not by itself adopt enforcement contracts or funding changes. Any subsequent contract or ordinance for automated enforcement would return to the council for formal approval.

The decision follows earlier public comment at the meeting about local traffic enforcement and is intended to provide a short-term trial period to evaluate camera effectiveness and impacts before longer-term commitments are made. The council asked staff to include performance and traffic-safety metrics in the forthcoming contract terms and to report results after the trial period.