[KHTS] – Santa Clarita officials voted to abandon red-light cameras throughout the city Tuesday, after a 3-2 vote and questions about their cost and efficiency.

City officials are penning a letter to RedFlex, which operates the traffic safety cameras, alerting them of the council’s decision to drop the service.

Council members Dante Acosta, TimBen Boydston and Bob Kellar voted to abandon the cameras, while Mayor Marsha McLean and Councilwoman Laurene Weste voted against the motion.

The cameras, which currently operate at seven intersections within city limits, is projected to cost taxpayers about $210,000 in the current fiscal year.

“The actual cameras will be removed after March 31, (on a) date to be confirmed with RedFlex,” according to a statement from Gail Morgan, city spokeswoman. There will be no more tickets issued after that day.

The city is continuing to evaluate intersections citywide for signal timing, synchronization and changes to the length of the yellow light, officials said.

It is anticipated that the yellow lights will be extended at intersections, officials said, at a length that’s going to be determined through traffic analysis.

Within the next two weeks, the signs announcing the red light cameras and their fine violation amount will be removed from city intersections.

The red-light cameras reported mixed results, according to Santa Clarita traffic engineers.

There was a 21-percent decrease in total collisions and a 67-percent reduction in the average number of yearly collisions caused by red-light running.

Included in the 21 percent was a 59-percent reduction in broadside collisions, which tend to be more serious, said Andrew Yi, traffic engineer and, perhaps more significantly, a 14-percent decrease in injury collisions, according to city data.

However, intersections with red-light cameras also saw a 13-percent increase in rear-end collisions.

City officials reported this is the first year the cameras are expected to cost the city money.

The loss in revenue was related to several factors, including an increased number of challenges, a decreased rate of compliance with people paying their tickets and an increased yellow-light time.

A suspension of the Red Flex camera service was also discussed, but ultimately, ditched for the motion to get rid of the cameras altogether.