LEON VALLEY, Texas — Leon Valley officials said the town will keep its red light cameras, despite a new state law banning them.

  • Leon Valley will keep red light cameras
  • Law allows cities to keep them through existing contracts
  • Residents want the cameras to stay

Gov. Greg Abbott signed a measure into law Saturday baning the cameras statewide. A section of the new law allows for towns to keep their cameras through the ends of their existing contracts with vendors.

Leon Valley first passed an ordinance for red light cameras in May 2017. The contract began in 2018 and was extended an extra 10 years earlier this year. That means Leon Valley could keep their cameras for the next 19 years.

Leon Valley City Manager Kelly Kuenstler said residents in the town don’t want to see the cameras taken down.

“Ninety-four percent of residents favored the red light camera program,” Kuentsler said. “The Leon Valley City Council is going to implement ordinances that their citizens want and that favor the community of Leon Valley.”

Kuenstler said most citations issued because of red light cameras are given to people passing through Leon Valley. That’s because cameras are lined along busy highways that pass through the city, like Texas Highway 16 or Bandera Road.

“The residents of Leon Valley like this program, they favor this program - but they’re not the violators,” she said. “Only about 6 percent of our citations are given to Leon Valley residents.”

Henry Diecker is a blind Leon Valley resident that walks the sidewalks of Bandera Road daily with the help of his guide dog Tony. He was terrified when he thought the red light cameras would come down. He testified against this bill in the Texas legislature to tell law makers that red light cameras affect pedestrians as much as drivers.

“We don’t stop to think about the impact of red light cameras on pedestrians,” Diecker said. “They protect us from those reds on right, they keep drivers out of the crosswalks.”

Diecker said even though learning the cameras weren’t leaving his area was a huge relief, he’d still like drivers to be more mindful of pedestrians like him.

“Keep a look out for those of us that can’t look out for you,” Diecker said.

Balcones Heights may also keep their red light cameras for a significant period. Their red light camera contract is set to expire in 15 years.