Several people in the audience wore yellow shirts. The color was for Emery Chalekian, who was 12 years old when she was killed in a traffic crash in April 2025. Her mother, Bridget Chalekian, stood at the public comment microphone Monday night and asked the commission to bring the cameras back.
The Encinitas Mobility and Transportation Safety Commission voted 5-1 to recommend reinstalling red-light cameras at two intersections. One commissioner voted no. The recommendation goes to the City Council next.
What Changed
Encinitas had red-light cameras before. Many California cities did. They got rid of them over privacy and fairness concerns — the sense that the cameras existed mainly to generate revenue, not save lives.
California's SB 720, the "Safer Streets Act," rewrote the rules. No facial photography. Violations treated as civil infractions — no points on a driver's record. Fines capped at $100 for first-time offenders, including administrative fees. Safe Streets Encinitas, the advocacy group pushing the effort, argues the new law turns the cameras into a safety tool rather than a money machine.
The group formed after a series of deadly crashes, including the one that killed Emery. They want cameras at two intersections: Encinitas Boulevard and El Camino Real, and El Camino Real and Leucadia Boulevard. Both had cameras before.
The Lone No Vote
One commissioner was not convinced. Questions came up about cost-effectiveness and whether cameras actually reduce crashes or just produce more citations. The skepticism is shared by some residents who remember how the city's last camera program ended — not with a safety victory, but with controversy.
The City Council will take up the issue at a future meeting.