City installs 10 new traffic cameras

The City of Encinitas has installed 10 new traffic cameras aimed at increasing responsiveness and getting better visibility on traffic operations, a city official said.

The cameras, which add to seven cameras already existing in the city and were financed with $800,000 in federal funding allocated for traffic safety improvements, have already been installed and will be online by the end of January, said Luke Baker, city engineering specialist in the traffic division.

The cameras are located at key intersections on El Camino Real, Encinitas Boulevard and Coast Highway 101.

The project includes replacing more than seven miles of outdated communications infrastructure with high-speed fiber optic cable, Baker said.

The city will also update traffic signals with more modern, network-ready components.

Baker said the camera feeds will be displayed on a video wall in the Traffic Management Center at city hall, and the city will be able to view the cameras throughout the day and make changes to the signals if they notice a problem.

Traffic staff can also notify emergency personnel if public safety issues arise.

Baker said the cameras will be used for traffic reasons only and will not be stored or recorded.