Smile! You are on Camera in Richmond.

Anyone that is walking, biking or driving in the City of Richmond knows that the intersection is not a very safe place. Cars go through on red lights, cars block the intersections, and it is often challenging for a pedestrian to legally cross the street. This is also reflected in the fact that 88 per cent of all accidents in Richmond occur in the intersection.
Under the guise of  enhancing public safety, Richmond city Council’s general purpose committee has recommended that Council approve a 2.2 million dollar upgrade of all existing traffic cameras to live recording, and install video cameras at all of the City’s 175  signalized intersections for 2018.
The report states “Threats of violence and terrorism remain an existential threat not only in international locations… but also domestically in cities in Canada.
“Richmond is an international gateway into Canada with major facilities including the airport and Metro Vancouver Port…It is prudent to address potential threats to the city’s community safety needs.”
Sure, but it will also be very helpful to have film footage of accidents, and it will be interesting to see if the universal camera installation makes a change in the driver behaviour and accident rate in Richmond’s intersections. The Richmond News also states that if the funding is approved by Council, staff will be looking for partnerships from the Province and Federal governments to help pay for it. You can also go on-line here to view photos being taken by the Richmond intersections that are currently operating with cameras.