ENCINITAS — Local advocates are urging Encinitas city leaders to reinstate red light cameras under a new state law as part of ongoing efforts to improve roadway safety.
At the Feb. 2 City Council strategic workshop, Laura Van Dusen, a founding member of Safe Streets Encinitas, called on the legislative body to develop and implement a red light camera program as part of its work plan.
Van Dusen pointed to California Senate Bill 720, which she said “includes an impact study which should be shared with the public.”
“Development of a red light policy, as required under the bill, should be transparent and include public input,” she said.
The law — signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2025 — is modeled after the state’s speed camera law and prohibits facial photography, instead relying on license plate images.
It establishes an initial fine of $100 if no fine has been assessed in the previous three years, with subsequent fines increasing to $200, $350, and $500. The law treats violations similarly to parking tickets, simplifies enforcement, and requires that all revenue collected by municipalities be reinvested in traffic safety projects.
Section 1 of the bill cites research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which found that 1,149 people were killed and more than 107,000 were injured in red light running crashes in 2022. The IIHS study found that red light cameras reduce fatal crashes from red light running by 21% in large cities and all types of fatal crashes at signalized intersections by 14%.
In June 2023, Brodee Braxton Champlain-Kingman, 15, was riding an e-bike northbound on El Camino Real when he fatally collided with a van, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
In April 2025, Emery Chalekian, 12, was fatally struck by a car that had run a red light on Encinitas Boulevard. Chalekian, a ballet dancer, was crossing the street at the time, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.
“Intersections are the main area where accidents occur in cities and where both Emery and Brodee were hit and killed,” Van Dusen said. “They are also the main cause of decreased mobility if not designed well, which can lead to traffic congestion and frustrated, aggressive drivers.”
Encinitas had red light cameras until May 2020, when the City Council voted not to renew its contract with Redflex, the company that operated the program. The annual cost was expected to be about $209,000, according to the city.
Bridget Chelakian, Emery’s mother, said at the Feb. 2 workshop that she believes the outcome may have been different had the program remained in place.
“If we still had the red light cameras on our streets, the chances of that crash happening would be slim,” Bridget said. “People drive safer when they know there are consequences.”
