I noted with interest that local officials were supportive of the proposal to allow cameras to monitor traffic lights.

I was in the Lewiston-Auburn area for the past several days, and can attest, in any forum, that they are sorely needed. Running red lights is rampant in the Twin Cities.

I observed five vehicles run through a red light on Main Street in Lewiston, and on Turner Street, I watched the vehicle ahead of me actually accelerate when the light turned from yellow to red.

I had my vehicle totalled at a light on Center Street a few years ago by a driver who ran a red light.

The cameras need to be implemented, along with serious fines – not $100 or $200, but rather $1,500 to $2,000. That is the only way to change the behavior of drivers. Hefty insurance surcharges also get drivers’ attention. Signs, slogans and educational campaigns do not do the trick.

I was born in Lewiston and grew up in Auburn, but my life expectancy is far greater now that I have moved away.

Robert Tiffany, Alton, N.H.