Balcones Heights brings Red Light Cameras to town

L-R: Balcones Heights Asst. Police Chief Bobby De La Garza interviewed by WOAI News-4 Reporter Demond Fernandez & Photographer Gene Collins, Balcones Heights Councilman Steve Walker interviewed by Reporter Demond Fernandez, Fernandez doing a stand up, Councilman Steve Walker interviewed by KWEX-TV-41 Reporter John Meyers, Balcones Heights Asst. Police Chief Bobby De La Garza interviewed by KWEX-41, De La Garza interviewed by Telemundo, News vehicle, vehicles stopped at red light at Babcock & Hillcrest, Chevron Station at the intersection, Babcock Road sign, Balcones Heights Police vehicle, copy of the citation paper work

The City of Balcones Heights will be the first city in Bexar County to install the controversial red light cameras. Construction begins Thursday, January 11th at the corner of Hillcrest and Babcock.

Three other red light cameras will be installed on Fredericksburg Road to include: the intersections at Hillcrest & Fredericksburg Road, Crossroads Boulevard at Fredericksburg Road & Balcones Heights Boulevard & Fredericksburg Road.

Balcones Heights is the smallest suburb in Bexar County. A city of 3-thousand residents to include 250 homes & 17 apartment complexes, the suburb is 8/10ths of a square mile extending from Crossroads Mall down Fredericksburg Road to Balcones Heights Boulevard.

Seventy percent of the residents are Hispanic.

The four red light cameras will take approximately 25 days to install and put into working order. The City Council in a 4-1 approved the installation in September.

According to the agreement with American Traffic Solutions (ATS) who will oversee the project, there will be a thirty day grace period from the time the red light cameras are functional where violators will only be issued warning tickets. At the end of the grace period, citations will be issued and fines levied.

A Red Light Camera violation will cost the violator $148 per citation.
Consequences for failure to pay the ticket will include an unfavorable mark against the violators credit report, and collection agencies will be notified and other possible legal action will be taken. The violations are a civil matter and the citation does not affect insurance rates or suspension of driver's license.

Councilman Steve Walker voiced numerous concerns on due process and possible unintended consequences during the final vote of the Council. The Council entered into a five year contract with ATS. The citations will be issued from ATS home office in Scottsdale, AZ.