ORANGE PARK – The Town has a population of 8,764, according to the 2020 United States census, and it’s grown in the past three years.

However, despite its small size, Orange Park still provides a major artery for traffic flowing between four Northeast Florida counties: Clay, Duval, St. John’s and Putnam.

More than 85,000 vehicles pass through the town a day, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

U.S. Highway 17 runs north and south through the town, with Wells Road and Kingsley Avenue being one short turn away from Blanding Blvd, each providing a quick connection to Interstate 295.

In a town where tens of thousands of automobiles pass through daily, red light cameras have been installed at three locations since 2013: northbound and southbound lanes at Park and Kingsley avenues, Park and Loring avenues, and westbound and westbound and eastbound lanes at Kingsley Avenue and DeBarry.

The cameras take photos of red light runners at the designated intersections, with cameras taking still images and videos of violators, who are issued a $158 fine.

In most recent data, the National Coalition for Safer Roads found that Florida was the No. 3 most deadly state for red-light running in 2019, with 84 overall fatalities.

However, in Orange Park, numbers haven’t been nearly as detrimental as in other areas of the state.

Since red light cameras were established 10 years ago, annual crashes have not decreased. Data from FDOT from 2013-20 denotes an average of 32.1 crashes a year, compared to a total of 15 in 2011 and 25 in 2012.

Meanwhile, injury numbers from those crashes increased slightly. Between 2011-12, an average of 19 injuries were reported, while from 2013-20, an average of 21 injuries took place a year.

No deaths took place at the three intersections between 2011-20, according to the FDOT.

Green Cove Springs also relies on three cameras to catch violations.

One major opponent of the red lights is David Coughlin. He lives in the unincorporated portion of Orange Park.

Coughlin said he is concerned that the accused violator is not afforded due process because the state is relieved of the burden of confirming the driver and a variety of mitigating conditions he believes aren’t recorded.

He said those mitigating factors include the short-spanned, 11-second video absence of audio and other factors.

After notices are mailed to violators, payment for the tickets is arranged through American Traffic Solutions, which is based in Tempe, Arizona.

Coughlin was an outspoken critic of the red light cameras during town hall meetings on Jan. 10 and again on Jan. 24.

Town council voted to pass a new two-year contract for the cameras with Verra Mobility during their Jan. 10 meeting. The motion passed unanimously, 5-0.

“We expect Law Enforcement Officers to attest in court to the full hemisphere of events and audio as well as make a proper identification of the motorist; however, we do not require this of our red light camera regime,” Coughlin told the council on Jan. 10.

According to town and county records, Coughlin was cited on Nov. 22, 2015, for running a light in Green Cove Springs and again on Nov. 7, 2013, for running a light at Loring and Park in Orange Park.

“Would I like to get rid of the red light cameras? Yes, at some point. But unless you’ve got a half million dollars a year in your pocket that you’re willing to donate to the town, we’re going to have to have that revenue, or we’re going to have to lay off a bunch of people and change all kinds of other stuff because this is a continuing source of income, and right now, it’s very important to the operation of the town,” said Vice Mayor Alan Watt during the Jan. 10 session.

Orange Park generates approximately $500,000 a year from the cameras.

“I’ve asked before and have never gotten anything that has been a sufficient answer, but the fact is, until we can figure out how to raise that other $500,000 annually, we’re pretty much stuck,” Watt said.

However, in a statement, town manager Sarah Campbell maintains that the town’s red light camera operates under Florida’s Mark Wandell Statue, which is very clear on the program’s requirements and standards.

In an email, Campbell said the town council believes that the red light cameras are crucial to the town.

“It’s a small town of just over 9,000 residents, and only four police officers are on patrol a shift. The council believes that the red light camera is an extension of our police force. The cameras utilize modern-day technology in combination with our police officer review to enhance our officers’ ability to enforce the safety laws of our state,” Campbell said.