Public commenters urge support for red-light cameras under SB 720 and for smoke-free multi-unit housing

Two members of the public used the meeting’s oral-communications period to raise safety and public‑health concerns.

Lee Ratcliffe, who introduced herself as a founding member of Safe Streets, urged the commission to send a letter to city council endorsing a new red‑light camera program enacted under Senate Bill 720. Ratcliffe told commissioners the Mobility and Traffic Safety Commission had recently approved the program and that automated enforcement is “one of the most proven methods” to reduce red‑light running and related deaths. “Our goal is no fatalities,” she said.

Later, Katie Papanyak (who said she represents a San Diego alliance working on smoke‑free multi‑unit housing) described harms from secondhand smoke in apartment buildings and condominiums, and cited a figure she said is in her materials: “up to 65% of the air in an apartment can come from other units.” She asked the commission to consider public‑health outreach to seniors and noted volunteers and partners that can help with programming.

Neither public comment generated a formal commission action at the meeting. Staff advised commissioners that guest speakers and topics can be scheduled for future meetings, and commissioners requested staff follow up on possible presenters (for traffic safety and smoke‑free housing) as part of the FY2026–27 guest‑speaker list.