The city of Santa Ana contracts with the private company Redflex Traffic Systems to operate a red light camera system at the intersection of 17th St and Bristol St. At the 17th St and Bristol St intersection there is a single camera, monitoring eastbound traffic on 17th St.

17th St and Bristol St Red Light Camera

The speed limit at this intersection is 40 mph, which means the CA Vehicle Code and the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices requires that each yellow light must be at least a minimum of 3.9 seconds in duration for through traffic.

The camera captures approximately 60-80 incidents per month, from which an average of about 30-40 tickets are issued. This camera was non-operational for much of 2012, but is currently back in working order. Many of the tickets issued at this intersection are for rolling right turns.

Overall, the city of Santa Ana has 20 red light camera approaches at 15 different intersections within the city limits. The city issues roughly 2,200 red light camera tickets per month. At a cost around $500 per ticket, the potential revenue generated by these cameras could reach more than $13 million a year.

The city of Santa Ana originally agreed to a contract with Redflex in 2002. In 2010, the city signed a five year extension with an option for two renewals of one year each, so it is likely these cameras will remain in Santa Ana until at least 2015. The city pays $3,900 per approach, per month, for each of the 20 cameras, which equates to $936,000 a year.