01:10 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 31, 2006

By Doug Miller / 11 News

Houston’s controversial to install red light cameras at intersections has passed through a divided Houston City Council.

KHOU-TV

The plan would position cameras at key intersections and take pictures of vehicles running red lights.

The owners of the vehicles would be ticketed.

A private contractor, American Traffic Solutions Inc., received a deal over the objections of a losing contractor.

Mayor Bill White’s administration worked hard to hustle up the votes for the plan.

It ultimately passed by a margin of 7 to 6.

Council members who voted for the plan were Jarvis Johnson, Anne Clutterbuck, M.J. Khan, Adrian Garcia, Carol Alvarado, Sue Lovell and Ron Green.

Those who voted against were Toni Lawrence, Ada Edwards, Addie Wiseman, M Holm, Shelly Sekula-Gibbs, and Michael Berry.

Councilman Peter Brown was absent.

Mayor White claimed the cameras will increase safety and save lives, but opponents argue that red light cameras are nothing more than an attempt to squeeze more revenues out of taxpayers.

American Traffic Solutions hopes to have the first cameras deployed in six weeks.