Lathrop could see an estimated $540,450 in annual revenue from proposed red light cameras that would go to funding other traffic safety measures throughout the city

The Lathrop City Council is conducting a hearing on Monday, Sept. 14, at 6 p.m., regarding plans to install red light cameras designed to reduce traffic collisions at the intersections of:

*River Islands Parkway & McKee Boulevard.

*Lathrop Road & 5th Street/Woodfield Drive.

*Golden Valley Parkway & Spartan Way.

*Lathrop Road & Harlan Road.

*Golden Valley Parkway & River Islands Parkway.

Given the red light cameras will be placed after Jan. 1, 2026 unlike those in Manteca and Tracy, the violations will be civil penalties similar to parking tickets and not $490 moving violations as they are in Manteca and Tracy.

Those two cities, under state law, have the ability to opt into the civil penalty process and drop the moving violation that goes through the court system and can lead to points added to a driver’s DMV record that in turn can impact insurance premiums.

The civil penalties in Lathrop will be:

*$100 for the first violation.

*$200 for the second violation within three years.

*$350 for the third violation within three years.

*500 for the fourth, and each subsequent violations, within three years.

The city, under state law, can’t lose money in any given year with a red light camera contract. That means if the city doesn’t collect enough to cover the cost within a 12-month period, that amount is forgiven.

Lathrop anticipates $1,170,450 in overall annual revenue meaning they expect to see roughly 11,000 red light citations issued every 12 months. Of that amount, $630,000 would go to the vendor.

Any net revenue — projected to be $540,450 — will be reinvested in traffic safety and street improvement purposes.

After an examination of traffic conditions and collisions, staff determined:

*Red light-running is a documented safety concern at selected intersections in Lathrop.

*The proposed camera locations were selected based on traffic safety need and feasibility.

*The program is designed to improve safety and driver compliance rather than generate unrestricted revenue.

*The proposed implementation is consistent with the civil enforcement, privacy, and public review requirements of Senate Bill 720.

The City has received complaints from residents and has also reviewed reports and field observations from the Lathrop Police Department regarding red-light-running activity at multiple intersections throughout the City.

The five intersections were selected based on a data-driven combination of safety need, traffic volume, and feasibility. That included analyzing accident data in terms of injuries, severity of collisions, and their frequency.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com