Pasadena Explores Automated Traffic Cameras After Resident's Proposal

City Council committee looks into red light and speed cameras to improve safety and generate revenue

Apr. 8, 2026 at 1:26pm

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A quiet, cinematic painting of a lone traffic light pole on an empty city street, the pole bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, capturing a sense of urban solitude and nostalgia.The prospect of automated traffic cameras has sparked renewed interest and debate in Pasadena, a city with a complex history around this controversial enforcement technology.Los Angeles Today

A proposal from a Pasadena District 6 resident to install automated traffic enforcement cameras, including red light and speed cameras, has sparked interest from the city's Legislative Policy Committee. The committee is exploring the legal and revenue implications of such a program, which has been implemented in other California cities.

Why it matters

Automated traffic cameras are a controversial but potentially effective tool for improving road safety and generating revenue for municipalities. Pasadena previously had a red light camera program but discontinued it due to legal issues, and the city is now reconsidering the approach under updated state laws.

The details

District 6 resident PA Brown urged the committee to explore both red light cameras and speed cameras, citing dangerous speeding conditions in the area and noting that California cities can now install red light cameras under new legislation. Brown also pointed to a state pilot program authorizing speed cameras in several cities, though Pasadena is not currently included. The committee chair expressed interest in the idea, while other council members raised concerns about past issues with the technology.

  • In October 2025, new state legislation took effect allowing California cities to install red light cameras.
  • In 2023, Assembly Bill 645 created a pilot program authorizing speed cameras in several California cities, but not Pasadena.

The players

PA Brown

A District 6 resident who proposed the idea of automated traffic enforcement cameras to the Pasadena City Council's Legislative Policy Committee.

Steve Madison

The chair of the Pasadena City Council's Legislative Policy Committee, who called the idea of automated traffic cameras 'intriguing'.

Kyra Emanuels Ross

Pasadena's state legislative advocate, who provided additional context on the legal framework around red light cameras.

Gene Masuda

A Pasadena City Councilmember who noted that San Gabriel Boulevard in his district previously had traffic cameras that drew many complaints.

Jess Rivas

The Pasadena Vice Mayor, who expressed interest in learning more about the history and current legal landscape around automated traffic cameras.

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What they’re saying

“Any California city can now install red light cameras under legislation that took effect last October, and pointed to Assembly Bill 645, signed in 2023, which created a pilot program authorizing speed cameras in several cities — including Glendale, Long Beach and the City of Los Angeles — but not Pasadena.”

— PA Brown, District 6 resident

“Washington, D.C., generates more than $100 million annually from its speed camera program — a city roughly three times Pasadena's size.”

— PA Brown, District 6 resident

“The new approach focuses enforcement on the vehicle rather than the driver, addressing the legal issues that doomed earlier programs.”

— Kyra Emanuels Ross, Pasadena's state legislative advocate

What’s next

The Pasadena City Council's Legislative Policy Committee has requested further research from the city's state legislative advocate and input from the city attorney's office and public safety staff. They plan to discuss the issue in more detail at their next meeting.

The takeaway

Pasadena's exploration of automated traffic enforcement cameras highlights the ongoing debate around the use of this technology to improve road safety and generate municipal revenue. The city's previous experience with red light cameras and the evolving legal landscape will shape how they approach this issue going forward.