D.C. accumulates $55.1M from camera enforcement

In Washington, D.C., speed and red-light cameras have become a booming industry. Using a Freedom of Information Act request, AAA Mid-Atlantic found that D.C. racked a record $55.1 million from speed and red-light cameras during its 2011 fiscal year, despite issuing fewer citations than the year before. The District mailed 462,601 tickets in 2011. Of those tickets, 397,464 were paid and 65,137 remain unpaid.

AAA Mid-Atlantic’s manager of public and government affairs John B. Townsend II said, “No one does it better than the District of Columbia.” Over the past two to three years, revenues have increased because fines have gone up by 150 percent, according to Townsend. The District expects to set new records for revenue and the number of tickets issued this year.