Red-Light Cameras Stop Rolling in N.Va.

But the program failed to gain renewal in part because many rural legislators said they believed the surveillance cameras infringed on personal liberties and were akin to Big Brother. Several area residents expressed that sentiment Thursday, when they stood at Loisdale Road and the Fairfax County Parkway holding their signs, including one that said, "Honk if you hate Red-light Cameras."

For an hour that night, the roadway echoed with the sounds of beeps and honks.

Authorities said it will be far more difficult to catch -- and cite -- red-light violators now that the cameras are off. The cameras established 24-hour enforcement at some of the region's most dangerous intersections, and officers said they will be far less efficient without them.

"We'll never be able to effectively cover an intersection like the cameras did," said Sgt. Jamie Bartlett, commander of the Alexandria police traffic division.

Those Northern Virginia jurisdictions that used cameras were unanimous in wanting to continue snapping photos of red-light violations, which carried a $50 fine. Slightly more than three-fourths of those who received the photos and citation paid the fine, a recent state study found.

But police officials said it wasn't about the money. In fact, three of the six governments that implemented the camera program -- Alexandria, Fairfax County and Vienna -- lost tens of thousands of dollars annually because they did not collect enough revenue to cover the cost of the equipment. Arlington, Fairfax City and Falls Church posted tiny profits.

In Arlington, more than 99,000 citations were mailed to red-light violators from January 2000 through May of this year, said Capt. Bonnie Regan, commander of the special operations section. She said the number was far more than could ever have been written by the department's officers.

"We're going to miss the cameras," she said. "They were specifically placed in areas that were difficult to enforce and where we saw the most accidents."