The Miami city council recently voted to reinstate the red light program. Recently, a new State law took effect in July that made red light camera citations form a traffic court issue to a local issue, similar to a code violation. This new law also addresses rolling right turns on red. The new law will allow you to turn on red. As long as you make a complete stop anywhere in the intersection before, on, or after the white line; you are in compliance.
From the 1,000+ citations issued in Miami each month, it equates to around 3 million a year from drivers. Under the new law if the ticket is unsuccessfully contested you can pay up to $250 in administrative fees. The Miami city council decided to stick to $85 for each unsuccessfully contested ticket. If you don’t have a lawyer contesting your ticket for you; be sure not to be late, or forget your day in court! If you don’t show up for the hearing, or if you fail to pay after losing your vehicle registration cannot be renewed until the citation has been paid.
Marc Sarnoff, Wifredo Gort and Michelle Spence-Jones voted in favor. Frank Carollo and Francis Suarez voted against. It was a narrow vote in order to create the special board needed for red light camera citation appeals. Red light camera citations have now resumed, however, the board will not be taking any appeals until around mid September.
