SAN ANTONIO — It was a nice strategy for Leon Valley Police while it lasted.
A year and some change after controversial red light cameras were installed along Bandera Road in the community, allowing authorities to catch drivers who speed down the street and issue citations to those who run red lights, they will now have to be taken down.
That’s because, as of this weekend, red light cameras are banned in the State of Texas. Governor Greg Abbott announced the new law with a video posted to his personal Twitter account on Saturday afternoon, showing him singing the legislation.
“I’m about to sign this bill that bans red light cameras in Texas,” Abbott says to the camera before putting pen to paper.
For as much as law enforcement in Leon Valley have loved the technology – which, as of mid-May, allowed police to issue over 72,000 tickets to drivers since its adoption – commuters have derided it just as much.
Balcones Heights has also been taking advantage of red light cameras at 12 locations around town. The city claims the tech has led to "a 70% reduction in intersection accidents since the program began."
The exact date of when the ban goes into effect is unclear at this time.