Red-light cameras are coming to some of Port St. Lucie’s busiest intersections after the City Council approved an ordinance giving the go-ahead for their installation at last week’s meeting.
The Port St. Lucie Police Department conducted an analysis to identify intersections where the cameras would be most effective.
Data was collected between January 1, 2022, and October 2025 by evaluating intersections based on total crash volume, frequency of angle crashes and the number of red-light citations.
“It’s my hope that they (drivers) comply and don’t run any red lights. Running a red light is a selfish act and endangers the lives of other people,” said Police Chief Leo Niemcyzk at the Nov. 10 meeting which was the first reading of the ordinance.
“Even one traffic fatality is too many. I know that right-angle crashes are the most dangerous. In 2025 we are seeing an uptick in traffic fatalities,” Niemcyzk said. “To date we have had 12 fatal crashes. It’s one of the worst years on record.”
The following 10 intersections were chosen based on metrics leading to where camera enforcement would reap the greatest safety benefit. In order, the intersections are:
1. Cashmere Boulevard and St. Lucie West Boulevard.
2. SW Tradition Parkway and SW Village Parkway
3. SW Bayshore Boulevard and SW Port St. Lucie Boulevard
4. Peacock Boulevard and St. Lucie West Boulevard
5. SW Gatlin Boulevard and SW Port St. Lucie Boulevard
6. California Boulevard and SW St. Lucie West Boulevard
7. SW Gatlin Boulevard and SW Savona Boulevard
8. S U.S. 1 and SE Lennard Road
9. S U.S. 1 and SE Port St. Lucie Boulevard
10. SW Bayshore Boulevard and SW Crosstown Parkway
“Those are the 10 most dangerous intersections that are most suitable for camera enforcement,” Niemcyzk said.
During the period when data was collected, the intersection at Tradition Parkway and Village Parkway ranks No. 1 in red-light citations (163); the intersection at SW Bayshore Boulevard and SW Port St. Lucie Boulevard ranks No. 1 in crashes (384); and the intersection at Cashmere Boulevard and St. Lucie West Boulevard ranks No. 1 in angle crashes (75).
Whether the cameras help lower the number of accidents was a matter of debate among council members and community commenters.
The City Council approved the ordinance with a vote of 3 to 1, with Council member Anthony Bonna Sr. voting no and Mayor Shannon Martin not present. Martin was a yes vote at the first reading. “I worry about increased rear-end accidents,” Bonna said. “I see a lot of other cities that have implemented this and suddenly are discontinuing their cameras. I just have too many questions.”
Resident George Umansky spoke against the cameras at the Nov. 24 meeting. “My concern is whether red-light cameras are the best first step.
“The only person that learns anything is the one person that receives the citation in the mail,” said Umansky, who favors live enforcement and other methods including adjusted light timing to start.
“True behavior change would mean that the violations would steadily decline over time, but that just doesn’t happen,” he said, sharing that most automated citations go to drivers who do a rolling stop then go if it is safe to do so.
“It’s an easy target for increased revenue collection. A dedicated enforcement team would be far more effective,” added Umansky, who urged commissioners to vote no and table the ordinance for a year to try other alternatives first.
Before the vote, Vice Mayor Jolien Caraballo said that installation would not be done all at once. “The chief (Niemcyzk) is going to do a few and he is going to pilot them first,” Caraballo said.
As to the idea of adding officers to do live citation writing, Caraballo said, “we need every officer to be available to take the calls for safety.”
“We are committed to leveraging technology in an effort to multiply our forces. The underlying causes of traffic fatalities are, No. 1, DUI’s, and others are right-angle crashes. Red-light cameras are designed to prevent right-angle crashes,” Niemcyzk said.
Asked when the cameras would be installed and by whom, Port St. Lucie Police Department public information officer Lt. Joseph Norkus said, “We’re just not at that point yet.”