PHOENIX — A controversial form of traffic enforcement will soon be in the hands of Arizona voters.
Lawmakers have approved a ballot measure that would require local voter approval for cities to continue operating photo enforcement programs, including speed and red-light cameras.
Photo enforcement systems have recently returned to Phoenix and remain in use in several Valley communities, including Tempe, Mesa, Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. Supporters say the cameras improve safety and encourage drivers to slow down, while critics argue they prioritize revenue generation and outsource law enforcement functions.
The measure, approved during the 2026 legislative session, will appear before voters statewide this November. Representative Teresa Martinez, a Republican from District 16, supported sending the issue to voters.
"If the city wanted to do photo radar, they have to do the vote. They have to," Martinez said.
If approved by voters, existing camera programs would be grandfathered in, but local communities would have to vote on whether those programs can continue operating. Jurisdictions that receive voter approval could continue using photo enforcement systems for 10 years before returning to voters for another vote.
Along Phoenix's Melrose District, one speed camera sits just feet from The Melrose Edit, a secondhand boutique owned by Christina Letourneau.
While she hopes the cameras eventually change driving behavior, she says she hasn't noticed much of an impact so far.
"Traffic is bad no matter what; people speed up and down this street every hour of the day every day of the week," Letourneau said.
As for how she plans to vote, Letourneau says she's still undecided.
"I don't know. I don't know. I have to be more informed before I make that decision," she said.
Other residents support keeping the cameras.
"It's tough. It's tough. I think I would vote they keep them. The benefit of keeping people safe outweighs the trouble of the cameras," said Tempe resident Jessica Brown.
Representative Martinez, meanwhile, remains opposed to photo enforcement.
"I've been trying to get rid of photo radar because I hate it. I absolutely want safer streets, so let's hire more police officers, change the points system, do more education; that's what we have to do," she said.
Arizona voters will decide the measure during the November 3 general election.
