photo radar program comes to an end in Arizona

Speed cameras on Arizona's state highways will be coming down soon.

Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., the company that operates the controversial cameras, said Thursday that the Arizona Department of Public Safety has notified the company its contract will not be renewed.

In a release posted on its Web site, Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. said, "DPS wishes to be clear that its decision to not renew the contract is not a reflection of your company's services or performance of the contract, but a change in the agency's focus."

There was no immediate comment from DPS.

The contract expires in early fiscal 2011, which begins July 1. Some sources said the cameras might come down before that.

"Redflex regrets this decision by DPS and believes it has been the exemplary supplier of traffic safety services and has delivered safety outcomes for the benefit of all citizens of the state of Arizona," the company said in its release.

Redflex operates photo speed programs in nine states and photo red light programs across 21 states.

Arizona's photo radar program began in 2008 amid complaints that it was mostly a money-making venture for the state. Well over half the tickets generated by the cameras reportedly were ignored by drivers, resulting in Redflex losing millions of dollars.

DPS Director Robert Halliday said in February that he believed the program should be changed or possibly ended. At that time, Gov. Jan Brewer said she was willing to let the Redflex contract expire and allow voters to decide the fate of the system.

Shawn Dow with camerafraud.com, which has been fighting photo radar since the program started, was excited to hear the cameras are coming down.

"We're happy that DPS has made this decision and is no longer violating the rights of Arizona citizens," Dow said.

Jason Lusby was driving on the freeway when he heard the news Wednesday morning. He welcomed the decision.

"I just don't see the legality of putting up the sign posts. How often do they calibrate those things, who monitors them?" Lusby said.

He said he had been caught by the cameras a few times.

"I actually was driving my girlfriend's car and got flashed by one on the I-10," he said.

A female driver, who did not want to give her name, said, "A lot of drivers don't pay when they get caught on the radar cam. I think it's just a waste of our money. We're already in debt in the state of Arizona and we don't need that. It's just stupid."

She said she got popped by the cameras once, but was not driving her own car at the time and did not pay the ticket.

The end of the state program does not affect photo speed cameras and red light cameras operated by cities.