Dot Wants To Put The Brakes On Dc Traffic Cameras

The Transportation Department is seeking to scrap the use of automated traffic enforcement cameras in Washington, a move that would cost the city millions in lost revenue but would likely be cheered by many drivers in the nation’s capital.

The proposal, authored by DOT and sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget, was obtained by POLITICO. It seeks to outlaw speed, red light and stop sign cameras throughout the city as part of the upcoming surface transportation bill, which Congress is hoping to pass this year.

The DOT proposal would “prohibit the operation of automated traffic camera enforcement in the District of Columbia,” the document says. DOT did not respond to a request for comment.

Since the implementation of red light cameras in 1999, the city’s use of those and other cameras has surged. There are currently 546 active enforcement cameras in the District, and the Automated Safety Camera program enforces a wide range of traffic violations, including unauthorized vehicles operating in bus lanes and truck-restricted routes.

The fines range from $100-$500. Steeper fines are assessed for passing a school bus with flashing lights or going more than 25 miles per hour over the speed limit.

There have been efforts to curtail D.C.’s use of the cameras, but none have yet become law. A House-authored fiscal 2026 spending bill would have prohibited D.C. from using funds to effectuate automated traffic enforcement, but that bill never got a floor vote. Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) has also introduced a measure to strip D.C.’s ability to use automated traffic enforcement systems.

"Automated traffic enforcement is being used to generate revenue, not enhance safety,” Perry said in a statement. “Cities like Washington, D.C. that depend on automated traffic enforcement revenue to balance their budgets are proof that the policy isn’t about the safety of residents and visitors; it’s about fleecing people without representation or fair due process. It’s un-American and should be abolished."

While some have argued automated enforcement serves as a commuter tax, some studies have found that cameras improve safety.

A recent study found that automated speed enforcement cameras improved road safety in New York City. Indeed, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday that automated camera enforcement will expand to encompass more bus routes in New York.

The D.C. government says its program is “designed to create safer roadways for all road users in the District of Columbia,” but it is also a big source of revenue.

D.C. generated $139.5 million from automated traffic enforcement cameras in fiscal year 2023; $213.3 million in fiscal 2024 and $267.3 million in fiscal 2025, according to Eric Balliet, a spokesperson for D.C.’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

Early in her tenure, Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero, an initiative to reduce roadway injuries and fatalities to zero. Adding cameras has been part of the formula.

Bowser's office did not respond to a request for comment. Darnisha Green, a spokesperson for the D.C. Department of Transportation, declined comment.