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Red Light, Speed Cameras Set To Return To Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Drivers beware! Red light and speed cameras are set to return to Baltimore City.

Mayor Catherine Pugh announced Wednesday that the cameras will be returning to the City in the summer.

This is certainly not good news for those drivers who have a heavy foot or try to breeze through when the light turns yellow, but no matter how you feel, the speed and traffic light camera will go back online in May.

The main objective of traffic cameras is simple, to keep drivers following the law and to prevent vehicle accidents.

But in Baltimore City, in the eyes of many drivers, the traffic light and speed cameras did more damage than they prevented.

About 3000 tickets were unjustly issued to drivers not breaking traffic laws.

"When they had them before they were just giving people tickets," one driver said.

"I don't know if the cameras would function properly or not," another driver said.

After being offline and out of use for three years, Pugh announced those cameras will go back on line in in less than two months.

On May 1, 20 cameras will go back online in Baltimore City. Every 6 weeks, 20 more cameras will be added to the grid, until the City reaches 60 operating traffic light and speed cameras.

"The contractors has been vetted. We've also had long conversations with other cities, in terms of who will be operating these cameras, so we expect them to be accurate," Pugh said.

Accurate or not, many drivers feel this resurgence of city traffic lights and speed cameras are more about making money for the City than preventing accidents.

"It will be a benefit to the city, but we certainly do not want to rely on the camera revenue to fix the gaps that we have in the city. It really is about keeping people safe," said Anthony McCarthy, director of communication for Baltimore.

There are negotiations to add 20 more cameras to make a total of 80 in the City.

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation started accepting bids for the traffic and speed cameras contract in January of 2016.

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