Ohio’s 2nd District Court of Appeals has ruled against Dayton’s efforts to continue use of its traffic camera program.
City officials sued the state after lawmakers banned the cameras earlier this year. In March, the state created a law saying cities could only use the cameras to ticket drivers if a police officer was on site.
Several cities, including Dayton, filed lawsuits saying the law violated “home rule” authority. Mayor Nan Whaley said in a statement she was disappointed in the appeals court ruling, especially after the Common Pleas court ruled the law unconstitutional.
Whaley said safety is now a concern for her. She said “we have seen a 107 percent increase in the number of red light violations as well as a 27 percent increase in speeding violations” since suspending issuing tickets.
Though, money is another part of the equation. Fines from tickets brought in about $1.7 million in revenue for Dayton.
It’s likely the city will appeal the 2nd District Court decision to the Ohio Supreme Court.
