Still, Republican House representatives from those three places are pushing to get rid of D.C.’s traffic cameras altogether.
On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee advanced a bill that would prohibit D.C. from using traffic cameras to catch drivers who speed, run red lights, block bus lanes, roll through stop signs, and drive by school buses that have their stop signs extended. If passed, it would also stop D.C. from enforcing a new law that makes it illegal to turn right at red lights.
The bill is the brainchild of Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pennsylvania), who admitted to a Washingtonian reporter earlier this month that he’s been hit with traffic camera tickets while driving in the city. Speaking on Wednesday, Perry said his proposal would benefit residents and visitors alike.
“My goal is to bring driving autonomy back to the District. Not only for the people that live there, but for people that visit,” he said “These cameras are a shameless money grab that continuously deter tourists, aggravate commuters, and attack and defraud local residents with hundreds of dollars in fines.”
Perry’s bill next heads to the full House. If it passes, it would go to the Senate, where Democrats have more power to block it. But even if Congress doesn’t act, the Trump administration could. Earlier this year, Politico reported that the U.S. Department of Transportation is considering using a major transportation funding bill to end automated traffic enforcement in the city.
D.C. currently has more than 530 traffic cameras across the city, part of a program that kicked off more than two decades ago. The number of cameras in use had jumped significantly in recent years, though, and in 2025 they issued more than 3.3 million tickets (70 percent of which were for speeding), worth some $383 million in fines – if they were all paid. Almost 40 percent of the tickets issued last year went to Maryland drivers, 28% to Virginia motorists, 18% for D.C. drivers, and the remaining 14% to motorists from outside the immediate region.
Proponents say the cameras dissuade dangerous driving in D.C., and data shows that speeding tends to decline whenever new cameras are installed. They also note that speed cameras, which often get the most grief from motorists, aren’t as vindictive as some make them out to be; they only issue a ticket once a driver goes 11 mph over the posted speed limit. Additionally, traffic camera violations result in fines, while being ticketed by a police officer could lead to increases in car insurance premiums.
Out-of-state drivers have also largely been able to avoid paying the fines because D.C. hasn’t historically had a mechanism for going after them. (D.C.’s attorney general can now sue the worst offenders for unpaid fines; he recently won $531,000 in judgements against 14 drivers from Maryland and Virginia.)
But the traffic cameras have drawn controversy, largely for high fines that can disproportionately impact low-income drivers (especially since they double if not paid within 30 days) and select locations that some drivers say are speed traps. Critics argue the cameras are more about revenue than safety, and that if safety were the real purpose, the revenue from the fines would go to traffic safety measures instead of the city’s overall budget. (A few years ago the D.C. Council tried to make this change, but Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected it.)
Beyond the benefits and drawbacks, D.C. officials and their allies on Capitol Hill say the debate should be left to the city’s residents and elected leaders.
“I personally have strong opinions as a former mayor on these types of cameras, and I think they can be debated. I will agree that they can also be misused in many cases, and I've seen that happen in cities and communities. At the same time, I believe that the decisions for the District should be left to the District and the community,” said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-California), the ranking Democrat on the Oversight Committee.
The 51st inquired with Perry’s spokesperson if he opposes Pennsylvania’s use of speed cameras in highway work zones, which according to the state has led to steady decreases in crashes and fatalities since being implemented in 2020. A similar inquiry was sent to the office of Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Missouri), a co-sponsor of the bill, whose district includes the city of Springfield, which employs red light cameras. (Police there say they are “very effective,” according to the department’s website) Neither have responded.
Advocacy group D.C. Vote says it is sending a delegation to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania this weekend to ask Perry’s constituents whether D.C.’s traffic cameras are among the top issues on their minds.
In their own letter to Congress, twelve of the council’s 13 members warned that suddenly yanking traffic cameras out of the city “will inevitably lead to more speeding, more dangerous driving, and more serious injuries on our roads,” and require traditional police officers to spend time doing traffic enforcement instead of “other important public safety responsibilities.”
Bowser said in her own statement that traffic cameras contributed to the 52 percent decline in traffic fatalities that D.C. saw last year, and that removing them would “send a misguided and dangerous message that reckless driving is acceptable in our nation’s capital.”
While neither the council nor Bowser directly mentioned it, Perry’s bill would also have an immediate fiscal impact on D.C.’s budget, costing the city an estimated $250 million in revenue per year. Perry called the fines a “tax” on D.C. residents and visitors, though they’re a tax that can be avoided by not speeding or running red lights.
His bill would also prohibit D.C. from enforcing a new law that bans right turns on red lights. The law took effect in January 2025, though it is only enforced at intersections with a sign telling drivers not to turn on red. (The law was never fully funded, so signs have not been placed at all intersections.) Proponents say it keeps pedestrians in crosswalks safe from right-turning vehicles; Perry and other Republicans argue it merely causes more traffic in the city.
Martin is a longtime reporter and editor in D.C. He formerly worked for WAMU 88.5 and DCist.com, and has contributed to the Washington City Paper and other publications. He's been in D.C. for 25 years, and tries to ride his bike everywhere he can.
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