Bristol Township is now using a collection agency to track down drivers who fail to pay traffic fines from the municipality’s automated red-light enforcement cameras.
The Bristol Township Council voted earlier this month to retain Municipal Collections of America Inc., known as MCOA, after a surge in unpaid citations from the township’s monitored intersections, officials said.
“We now are at the point where people are not paying,” Township Manager Randee Mazur said.
For drivers who have declined to pay and additional $35 is being tacked on the the original $100 fine.
Upcoming violation notices sent to motorists will include warnings regarding the additional fees if fines are not paid by a designated date Mazur said.
The intersections are considered hot spots for speeders, officials said when the traffic safety initiative was first launched last year.
The red-light traffic enforcement system covers two intersections with a total of eight cameras installed and operated by Sensys Gatso.
Credit: Lower Bucks Hospital
The cameras overlook intersections of Route 13 and Green Lane, Route 13 and Edgely Road, Veterans Highway (Route 413) and Wharton Road/Old Rodgers Road, and Veterans Highway and Western Avenue.
The agreement for collection of overdue violation fees is similar to a setup Bristol Township already uses on to recover unpaid sewer bills, Mazur said.
Sensys Gatso handles the installation, maintenance, and operation of the camera hardware, as well as collecting initial payments directly from violators.
They forwards the funds to Bristol Township who in turn, make monthly payments back to Sensys Gatso and distributes annual payments to PennDOT, which invests the remaining revenue into a statewide transportation grant program.
Officials have said all expenses related to the camera operations are covered through the revenue generated by the violations.
With eight camera approaches in operation, annual operating costs are projected just under 580,000.00 The expenses cover fees to Sensys Gatso, police officer work for reviewing and enforcing violations, legal fees, civilian and finance staff time, and administrative costs like postage and stationery, officials have said
The Township has said it anticipates the red light camera systems to generate $2.8 million in 2026.
Bristol Township police have said the aim of the automated enforcement effort is to improve safety along those intersections.