Motorists who run a red light on Oahu might be caught on camera beginning late this summer under a new pilot program that will run for a minimum of two years, according to the Department of Transportation.

Under Act 30, the program is meant to provide a safe, quick, cost-effective and efficient way to prevent red-light running to save lives, because no traffic stop by a police officer is involved.

The 24/7 system takes a magnified picture of the rear of a vehicle that runs a red light, capturing the license plate. A second, wide-angle photo taken simultaneously captures the entire intersection.

A citation or summons will be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner.

The program has experienced some delays that pushed the start date back from July 1 to an unspecified date in late summer.

DOT spokeswoman Shelly Kunishige said the cameras were supposed to have been installed by May, but a vendor has not yet been selected by the state because the cost of the system ran higher than anticipated.

The state had to get authorization for more funding, which it received, and can move forward once the procurement is finalized.

Once selected, the vendor must begin a public information campaign.

“We’re not trying to hide things,” Kunishige said. “We’re not trying to spring it on people.”

The pilot program will address some of the past traffic camera issues, which included that a vendor made a certain amount based upon the number of violations. She said in this case, the vendor will not make more money from more citations.

For the first 30 days, warnings will be issued instead of citations.

Several things must take place before the system gets a green light.

Although legislation for the system was enacted Sept. 15, public hearings still must be conducted on the administrative rules proposed by the DOT before they can be finalized.

The DOT is awaiting approval to hold public hearings.

Also, signs must be posted indicating a photo red light camera system is in operation on major routes entering the area.

Ten intersections were selected for the program, but that could change after additional engineering reviews, Kunishige said. They were selected based on crash history and red light violations. All are in Honolulu under a single court district.

The tentative list: 1) Beretania and Piikoi streets; 2) Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street; 3) Vineyard Boulevard and Palama Street; 4) Vineyard and Pali Highway; 5) North King and Beretania streets; 6) King Street and Ward Avenue; 7) Vineyard and Liliha Street; 8) Pali and School Street; 9) Likelike Highway and School; 10) King and River streets.

Act 30 notes that intense public opposition to “van cams” — the photo speed imaging detector system program — created by Act 234 and begun in January 2002, caused the Legislature to repeal Act 234.

Opposition was mainly because of public perception that the program was operated to maximize revenue for the vendor, Act 30 says. Also the vans on which the cameras were mounted were placed at locations that did not necessarily have a history of speed-­related collisions. The vans were used to monitor areas with heavy traffic flow at lower speeds, allowing the vendor to issue the highest number of tickets in the least amount of time and cost.

Hawaii Kai resident Randall Yanagi said he wanted to know what the rules are and what the appeals process is.

“If someone is crossing illegally, and you stop and you’re in the middle of the intersection making a left turn, the camera goes on and click,” he said, adding that “your license plate” is captured. “I think there are a lot of bugs in this,” Yanagi said.

But a DOT spokeswoman said Yanagi’s assertion is inaccurate. She said photo enforcement will not activate if the vehicle is stuck in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red. Instead, the cameras will not activate until the light is red, and they will detect who crosses the “stop bar” after that, she said.

Yanagi said in 2009 he was driving in Northern California where there were stiff fines at intersections. “I would slow down on every light I approach,” he said, and added that there is a definite possibility of more accidents if people slow down.

“People are paying more attention to the lights than other people and cars around them,” he said.

ON THE NET:

>> To see the photo red light imaging detector draft rules go to bit.ly/32fCTbd.

This story has been updated to include the DOT’s response that the red light camera enforcement will not cite a motorist who gets stuck in an intersection waiting for a pedestrian as described by Randall Yanagi.