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The latest headlines from the world of photo enforcement. Updated almost daily...
Another speed enforcement camera lawsuit filed
Dec 18, 2015 Des Moines Register - ArticleExcerpts:
Two people who received speeding citations from automated traffic enforcement cameras on Interstate Highway 235 in Des Moines have filed a class action lawsuit asking that the devices be turned off and penalties and fines be refunded to hundreds who have been cited since March.
The lawsuit, filed this week in Polk County District Court, is the latest salvo on Des Moines’ interstate speed cameras that the Iowa Department of Transportation in March ordered turned off. State officials, in the ruling, wrote that the cameras did not make the highway safer.
Traffic deaths double. Now what, Vision Zero?
Dec 14, 2015 SILive.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Despite the concerted efforts of Vision Zero, traffic fatalities have nearly doubled on Staten Island this year versus last year.
There have been 20 traffic fatalities here in 2015. There were 11 in 2014.
Think Tank Report Examines Photo Ticketing Motivation
Dec 9, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Is photo enforcement for the money, or for safety? That is the question posed in a report released Tuesday by the Winnipeg, Canada-based think tank, the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. Researchers Hiroko Shimizu and Pierre Desrochers sought to place commonly cited traffic safety statistics in context to see whether the claims of photo enforcement advocates hold up to scrutiny.
The report notes that violating the posted speed limit is just one factor in traffic accidents, and it is far from the most important one. Driver distraction consistently ranks far higher on the list of collision causes. Thus, rigorous photo enforcement studies have found limited, if any, benefit to the use of the cameras. The researchers suggest there are far better engineering alternatives to enhance safety.
Petition begins against Grand Avenue speed camera in El Mirage
Nov 16, 2015 YourWestValley.com - ArticleExcerpts:
EL MIRAGE, Ariz. -- A petition drive to ban speed cameras on state highways, specifically aimed at the camera at the intersection of Grand Avenue and Primrose Street in El Mirage, has begun.
Settlements approved in lawsuits over Jefferson Parish red-light cameras
Nov 13, 2015 The New Orleans Advocate - ArticleExcerpts:
A state judge signed off Friday on settlements of a trio of lawsuits involving the controversial and unpopular Redflex red-light camera system used in Jefferson Parish from 2007 until 2010.
Two of them were class-action lawsuits that will return $7.1 million to 147,000 of the drivers issued tickets while the system was in use. The third settlement was Redflex’s lawsuit against the parish, which will return $9 million to the company that operated the system.
Red-light cameras switched off, radar vans parked (Tucson, AZ)
Nov 5, 2015 Tucson Sentinel - ArticleExcerpts:
You won't have to check TucsonSentinel.com's listing of radar vans before heading out for your commute anymore. In the wake of an overwhelming vote to end Tucson's photo traffic enforcement programs, the city has put the brakes on the red light cameras at eight intersections, and sent its photo radar vans back to the garage.Proposition 201 was approved by voters Tuesday, 66-34 percent. Even though the vote has yet to be certified by the City Council, officials acknowledged the margin at the polls and shut down the programs this week. Hoods were placed over some signs that warned motorists of the cameras at intersections, and the radar vans were not deployed as scheduled.
Phuket speeders: 70% caught on camera fail to pay fine
Nov 5, 2015 PhuketGazette.com - ArticleExcerpts:
PHUKET: Not a single Phuket driver of the 70 per cent who failed to pay their speeding tickets has had their licence revoked, confirmed Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) chief policy adviser Jaturong Kaewkasi.
“However, only 30 per cent of the drivers actually come and pay the fine, which is never more than 1,000 baht,” said Lt Col Rungrit Rattanapagdee of the Phuket City Traffic Police. “If they fail to pay, we inform the PLTO and ask for their assistance.”
Road traffic collision destroys A37 speed camera
Nov 4, 2015 Western Gazette - ArticleExcerpts:
AN INACTIVE speed camera met a sticky end after it was seemingly destroyed by an out of control car.
The camera, which sat on the bend of the A37 at Chilthorne Domer opposite the Halfway House pub, will not be replaced.
Speeding drivers escape getting caught because police forces adjust camera to avoid paperwork
Nov 4, 2015 Western Daily Press - ArticleExcerpts:
Speeding motorists are escaping punishment because police forces are adjusting speed cameras - to avoid generating too much paperwork.
Some forces are ignoring guidelines by deliberately setting speed cameras with a higher 'tolerance' to avoid having to process too many tickets.
Tinley Park sued over red light camera tickets
Nov 3, 2015 Chicago Tribune - ArticleExcerpts:
A new lawsuit claims that Tinley Park illegally rejected red light camera tickets for politically connected people.
The lawsuit contends that the village rejected tickets for politically connected donors, as well as relatives and associates of village officials, and failed to provide people caught by the cameras due process under state law. Local attorney Steve Eberhardt, who is also a political foe of former Mayor Ed Zabrocki, filed the suit Tuesday in Cook County.
Red-Light Safety Camera Ticket Refunds Approved by Court
Oct 21, 2015 CBS Local - ArticleExcerpts:
ST. LOUIS (News release/KMOX) – Red-light runners caught by safety cameras will soon receive a refund for tickets paid between February 11, 2014, and August 19, 2015. The City of St. Louis has been keeping in escrow payments made during that year and a half while the City was waiting on a ruling by the Missouri Supreme Court.
The Court has ruled that while red light safety cameras and speed cameras are indeed permissible law enforcement tools, cities must meet a more rigorous burden of proof in its camera prosecutions; hence, voiding the City’s current red light safety camera ordinance, as written.
Round Rock ends red light camera program
Oct 9, 2015 keyetv.com - ArticleExcerpts:
On Thursday night the City of Round Rock voted to cancel their red light camera enforcement program.
A city spokesperson said in early 2015 that it was not clear if the program improved safety, and was not generating much revenue.
Credit Report Settlement Threatens Automated Ticketing Industry
Oct 7, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
In many states, the only penalty for failing to pay a red light camera or speed camera ticket is a black mark on a driver's credit score. That leverage is no more, thanks to a $6 million settlement reached between thirty-one state attorneys general and credit reporting agencies Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The sweeping agreement will protect consumers by limiting the ability of for-profit photo ticketing companies from affecting the credit of vehicle owners.
Wicomico County Ending Use of Mobile Speed Camera System
Sep 24, 2015 WBOC.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The county decided to end its contract with Red Speed USA, a mobile speed camera system. The partnership officially ends in December.
Drivers fighting tickets in Winnipeg forced to wait until 2017
Sep 22, 2015 Global News - ArticleExcerpts:
WINNIPEG — Provincial traffic courts have grown so busy with drivers fighting photo radar tickets, trials for offenses that occurred within the last month, are now being set for 2017.
Politicians Are In Bed With Big Speed Camera Companies
Sep 18, 2015 DailyCaller.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Maryland’s failed state-run Obamacare health exchange and many of its local speed camera programs have something green in common — millions of dollars in contributions from a company with political ties to former Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley.
“When you privatize the power to issue public fines, there is a lot of potential for corruption,” said Phineas Baxandall, a senior policy analyst with the left-of-center U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
Sometimes, that collaboration between government and big business turns criminal.
Speed Camera Company Sues Cleveland, Ohio
Sep 10, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Photo enforcement vendors do not give up easily when cities decide that using speed cameras is not for them. Xerox, for example, recently filed suit against Cleveland, Ohio after its residents voted by an overwhelming 78 percent margin to ban the use of red light cameras and speed cameras in 2014. The photo copying giant insists that it is owed money because the automated ticketing contract does not expire until June 1, 2017. The company was only able to collect ticketing revenue for a year and a half.
Red light camera pulldown nearing end
Sep 2, 2015 VV Daily Press - ArticleExcerpts:
VICTORVILLE — Redflex Traffic Systems is inching closer to removing all hints of its 10 Victorville red light cameras, which had long been the subject of controversy until the City Council ended its relationship with the camera operators June 30.
Insurance Industry Proves Accident Rates Declined Equally With or Without Speed Cameras
Sep 1, 2015 Maryland Drivers Alliance - ArticleExcerpts:
An Insurance Industry Group is claiming that a study on Montgomery County's speed camera program shows the benefits of speed cameras, even though that study found no difference in accident rate reductions on roads where speed cameras were added compared to roads in a control group without speed cameras.
Redflex faces more legal action in US (sued for $300M)
Aug 31, 2015 News.com.au - ArticleExcerpts:
A FORMER US-based executive of Redflex Holdings has launched fresh legal action against the Australian red-light traffic camera company, which is mired in a multi-million dollar bribery scandal.
AARON Rosenberg was the company's top national salesman but was fired after he turned whistleblower, accusing Redflex of paying bribes and giving gifts to officials in 14 US states in exchange for contracts.
Missouri Supreme Court Delivers Three Strikes Against Photo Tickets
Aug 19, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The highest court in Missouri on Monday struck down red light camera and speed camera programs. In three separate cases, the high court judges found that the cameras unconstitutionally shifted the burden of proof by forcing ticket recipients to prove their own innocence. The judges also found that the creation of "civil" citations and administrative hearings for moving traffic violations violated state law.
Littleton stops red-light cameras
Aug 17, 2015 Centennial Citizen - ArticleExcerpts:
Crews from American Traffic Solutions, which operates Littleton's red-light cameras, were spotted on Aug. 3 beginning to take them down at Littleton Boulevard and Broadway. It could take up to a month to remove all the equipment, according to the Littleton Police Department.
When council implemented the program in 2009, increasing safety was the stated priority. But data showed injury accidents only decreased at three of the intersections — with the biggest drop at Broadway and Littleton Boulevard — while actually increasing at the other two. Non-injury accidents increased at all of them except Broadway and Littleton Boulevard.
Traffic Signal Pioneer Warns Of Overly Short Yellow Lights
Aug 13, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Transportation officials gathered in Hollywood, Florida last week for an Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) conference. They were surprised to learn that one of their leading members says they are doing signal timing wrong. Alexei Maradudin, an original author of the ITE yellow signal timing formula first developed in 1959, wrote a letter urging the organization to reform the most recent revision of its signal timing procedures.
Hundreds of cops caught speeding
Aug 13, 2015 NZ Herald - ArticleExcerpts:
The drivers of more than 300 police vehicles have been caught speeding and fined every year for the past five years, new figures show - with more than 2000 offending drivers ticketed during that period.
In the year to June 30, 336 fines were paid by drivers of speeding police vehicles. A further 612 tickets were waived.
Slow drivers can be deadly too
Aug 12 28, 2015 The Edmonton Sun - ArticleExcerpts:
According to Hugh McGee, a Virginia-based transportation safety engineer, it’s unwise to draw conclusions from “simple comparison studies” – ones that analyze accident rates at the same location, first without photo radar, then with it.
“Too many other factors contribute to accident risk,” such as weather, time of day, visibility, the condition of the road surface, the condition of the roadbed, road design (blind corners kill, too), inclines and others.
Believe it or not, setting a speed limit too slow for a given location also adds considerable risk.
According to the Institute of Transportation Engineers, the best speed limits are those set at the 85th percentile. That’s the speed up to which 85 per cent of motorists drive even when there are no speed limit signs.
Limits set too far below that cause accidents because some motorists will be puttering along at the posted limit or less, while others are driving at a higher speed that feels more natural. The mix of vehicles at various speeds is risky.
A recent B.C. study conducted using speed-limit enforcement stats combined with insurance claims found that drivers going more than 30 per cent under the posted limit were far more likely to cause accidents than those going as much as 15 per cent above.
Report Shows School Bus Accidents Are Rare
Jul 17, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
A child is nearly four times more likely to be struck by the driver of a school bus than by another motorist, according to the latest figures released by the US Department of Transportation. Experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reviewed a decade's worth of data covering 1214 fatal accidents involving school buses and presented their results in a report last month.
Between 2004 and 2013, 67 children (under age 18) were struck and killed by a school bus. In addition, 123 adults were killed by school buses over the same period. Adults, in fact, proved to be at greater risk than children in collisions involving a school bus.
Florida: Vendor Tries To Save Red Light Cameras Despite Accident Rise
Jul 14, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Accidents are up at the intersections with red light cameras in Hollywood, Florida, but American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is desperate to keep the troubled system alive. City commissioners last week unanimously approved an ordinance to dump the controversial devices, only to back away from the resolution after ATS proposed a last-minute deal. The company will, in effect, pay the council to ignore the city police chief's warning about the impact of automated ticketing since January 2011.
"Just so we're clear, we looked at empirical data, we did a lot of thorough research on accidents and fatalities," Chief Tomas Sanchez said on Wednesday. "We have also seen a dramatic increase in most intersections of twice as much rear end accidents occur after the red light camera implementation [compared] to before the red light camera implementation. As a whole, there have been more accidents at each intersection."
Lobbyist a constant in Columbus' politics
June 28, 2015 The Columbus Dispatch - ArticleExcerpts:
For close to four decades, lobbyist John Raphael has been intertwined with Columbus politics and businesses like few other people in Ohio’s largest city.
And now he is at the center of a political and legal firestorm: In a plea agreement, former Redflex CEO Karen Finley said she passed money through Raphael and the Ohio Democratic Party to elected officials in Columbus to secure contracts for red-light cameras.
The truth about Tenn. traffic cameras
June 25, 2015 The Daily Herald - ArticleExcerpts:
This last legislative session, I was asked by countless constituents to sponsor legislation to outlaw traffic cameras across the state of Tennessee. After carefully reviewing the research on traffic cameras, I came to some very disturbing conclusions.
We are told the cameras are for safety, not revenue. We are told if you aren’t breaking the law, you have nothing to worry about. It’s all an elaborate scheme.
Virtually every study cited by city officials to build a case that traffic cameras improve safety are actually funded by the very companies and municipalities making millions of dollars off of them.
$364,428 spent so far fighting red-light camera lawsuits in Jefferson Parish
June 15, 2015 NOLA.com - ArticleExcerpts:
It has cost Jefferson Parish taxpayers at least $364,428 so far to fight three related lawsuits that concern the parish's former red-light camera program.
That is the price that the parish has allocated so far to pay the law firm Blue Williams, LLP to defend the parish in three linked lawsuits that concern Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.
Speed enforcement dishonest in Pa.
June 12, 2015 LancasterOnline.com - ArticleExcerpts:
State officials push red-light cameras, speed cameras, stop-arm cameras and municipal police radar in their war on drivers (“Vote expected on police use of speed radar,” June 3). They also want moving radar and LIDAR (light detection and ranging). They neglect data showing that crashes increase and safe drivers are ticketed. They also refuse to implement best-practice engineering, such as setting speed limits to the 85th percentile free-flowing traffic speed and using longer yellow durations at traffic signals. They also do not say that the above devices have been found to make significant errors. Further still, cameras are used to issue gotcha tickets, where real cops would never issue tickets.
Officials investigating photo showing photo radar operator napping on the job
June 10, 2015 CTV Edmondon - ArticleExcerpts:
Photo radar vehicles are a familiar sight on Edmonton streets – catching speeding drivers on camera – but one operator was caught on camera himself, and has found himself in hot water.
Earlier this week, photos were posted online showing a photo radar truck parked on a grassy median on Jasper Avenue near 87 Street, and another showing the operator inside the vehicle sleeping.
Maryland Community Angry At Being Targeted By Speed Cameras
June 10, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
A community group in Montgomery County, Maryland has released a report documenting how residents are being disproportionately targeted by speed cameras. The Greater Olney Civic Association presented its findings at a community meeting on Tuesday. The association represents nearly three dozen neighborhood and homeowners associations within the unincorporated town of Olney. The group intends next month to transmit a set of recommendations to "eliminate the disproportionate impact" of the speed camera ticketing to state and local lawmakers.
OUTRAGEOUS: NYC Places ‘Mobile Speed Camera’ Blocking Williamsburg Fire Hydrant And Bus Stop
June 4, 2015 The Yeshiva World - ArticleExcerpts:
The attached photo was taken on Thursday morning in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, at the intersection of Myrtle Ave and Spencer Street. You can clearly see that there is a grey SUV parked in front of a fire hydrant and also blocking a bus stop.
Data shows mixed results for NYC Vision Zero plan
May 26, 2015 NY Daily News - ArticleExcerpts:
Nearly a year after City Hall launched Vision Zero in June of last year, the results are mixed, a News analysis of NYPD data from July 2012 through March 2015 found.
Some roads saw huge drops in the number of wrecks that resulted in an injury or fatality — such as a stretch of Broadway in Manhattan, from 125 to 95, and Forest Ave. on Staten Island, from 33 to 17.
But on half of the roads, the carnage actually increased. Fifty people were injured or killed on E. Gun Hill Road in the Bronx during the months following the speed limit reduction, compared with 33 during the same time period two years prior. On Southern Blvd. in the Bronx, casualties jumped from 21 to 31.
Baldwin Park red light camera contract to expire
May 16, 2015 San Gabriel Valley Tribune - ArticleExcerpts:
BALDWIN PARK >> After spending millions of dollars to increase traffic safety but having no way to track how much money the city was getting in return from its red-light traffic tickets, Baldwin Park will let its red-light camera contract end Monday.
The major point of contention is a monthly report that Redflex promised the city detailing issued citations and how much was paid for each ticket.
At least one councilmember has been asking Redflex to answer its claims for more than a year. Mayor Pro Tem Cruz Baca said she sought the promised reports in 2013, then again last year and was told both times the company could not provide the information.
Red-faced police probe speed cam botch-up
May 17, 2015 New Zealand Herald - ArticleExcerpts:
Three traffic officers have been disciplined and several others stand accused of botched checks of hand-held speed cameras, potentially leaving police exposed to legal action over speeding tickets.
The Herald on Sunday can reveal the investigation centres on allegations the officers failed to record how and when the devices were calibrated.
Red light revenge: Saudi woman gets back at husband with $80,000 in fines
May 13, 2015 UPI.com - ArticleExcerpts:
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, May 12 (UPI) -- A Saudi woman enlisted the help of her brother to drive her husband's vehicle through red lights to rack up $80,000 worth of fines on the night of his second wedding.
A YouTube video of the pickup truck going back and forth through a red light at a Saudi intersection went viral online and media in the country later reported the truck was being driven by the owner's brother-in-law.
Arlington, Texas Voters Dump Cameras And Pro-Camera Mayor
May 10, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Voters in Arlington, Texas took matters in their own hands Saturday and outlawed the use of red light cameras. The ballot proposition terminating the city's photo ticketing program was adopted with 60 percent of the vote. By nearly the same margin, voters also ejected pro-camera Mayor Robert Cluck in favor of Jeff Williams, a staunch opponent of automated ticketing machines.
SCHOOL BUSES CAUGHT ON CAMERA RUNNING RED LIGHTS, SPEEDING IN CHICAGO
May 7, 2015 ABC 7 Chicago - ArticleExcerpts:
CHICAGO (WLS) -- The ABC7 I-Team uncovered hundreds of school bus safety violations, with nearly 200 buses running red lights and speeding on Chicago's streets.
School buses carrying our most precious cargo are caught on video tearing through intersections, risking young lives and endangering other drivers. They're busted by traffic cameras for breaking the law and ticketed, but an I-Team investigation finds that the abuse rolls on and 80 percent of all these school bus tickets go unpaid.
Speed camera spotted in 'no standing' zone -- again
May 5, 2015 SI Live - ArticleExcerpts:
A mobile speed camera was spotted parked in a ''no standing'' zone Monday, and a passing motorist snapped some photos and sent them our way to alert those who might get a ticket in the mail.
Apr 17, 2015 Herald Sun - ArticleExcerpts:
This is the shambolic speed trap St Kilda intersection driving motorists around the bend and making it one of Melbourne’s biggest cash cows — and that’s in just six months.
Signage is also confusing drivers, with the speed zones 60, 40 and then 50 all appearing within a short distance of each other.
Department of Justice Figures show the red light and speed cameras at Lakeside Drive/Princes St and Fitzroy St intersection have raked in more than $5.7 million in fines from 24,430 drivers.
Davis police say ‘stop’ to red-light cameras
Mar 26, 2015 DaviseEterprise.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Red-light cameras in Davis have been given the, well, red light.
Outdated technology, soured public sentiment and changing enforcement tactics prompted the Davis Police Department to abandon the eight-year-old program last fall, shutting off the city’s last two operating red-light cameras at First and E streets and Russell Boulevard at Sycamore Lane.
Santa Clarita to put full stop on red-light cams
Mar 25, 2015 SignalsSCV.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Santa Clarita City Council members voted Tuesday to halt the city’s controversial red-light camera program, prompting a round of applause from the crowd at City Hall.
With a 3-2 vote, council members opted to let the city’s contract with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. expire at the end of the month and discontinue the program.
Last year, the city began looking at making left-turn yellow lights longer at some intersections to see what the effects would be. Since that revised timing was implemented, red-light running dropped dramatically overall at those intersections.
City accused of violating due process in red-light and speed camera ticketing
Mar 23, 2015 Chicago Sun Times - ArticleExcerpts:
Cash-strapped Chicago should be forced to refund $600 million in red-light and speed camera tickets dating back to 2003 because it “skipped a step” and denied motorists due process, a lawsuit filed Monday argues.
It accuses the Emanuel administration of violating the city’s own legal requirement to issue a second notice of violation prior to issuing a determination of liability against motorists who were issued speed camera and red-light camera tickets.
The suit further accuses City Hall of two more “mistakes” that Zolna says deprived motorists of their due process:
- The failure to specify the make of the vehicle, as required under state law and the municipal code.
- The assessment of late penalties whenever payment is not received within 21 days of a liability determination, when a 25-day grace period is required by law.
Mobile Speed Camera In Wrong Spot, Violators Will Not Get Citations
Mar 19, 2015 WHOtv.com - ArticleExcerpts:
DES MOINES, Iowa – A mobile speed camera that Polk County Sheriff’s deputies set up in the 4700 block of northwest Morningstar Drive has a lot of motorists crying foul.
DOT guidelines say the speed cameras should “not be placed within the first one thousand feet of a lower speed limit” to give motorists enough time to slow down. This one clearly was. We measured the distance. It was just under 200 feet from where the speed limit drops from 55 miles-pe- hour to 45.
Uncertain future for Victorville's red light cameras after city ends contract
Mar 18, 2015 Victoville Daily Press - ArticleExcerpts:
VICTORVILLE — The City Council voted 4-1 late Tuesday not to renew its contract for 10 controversial red light cameras, preferring to end a policy enacted by previous leaders and finally put their own stamp on the contentious topic.
Iowa DOT Cracks Down On Profit-Driven Speed Cameras
Mar 18, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) wants ten of the thirty-four traffic cameras in use on state roads to come down. Officials reviewed documentation supplied by Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Muscatine and Sioux City and concluded on Tuesday that too many were not installed for safety purposes.
The orders were based on rules that the department laid out Last year regulating the use of automated ticketing machines on state roads. The regulations are based on the premise that engineering solutions must be implemented before ticketing programs and that cameras should never be considered a "long-term solution" to a traffic safety problem. The principles discourage use of cameras on interstate highways because the amount of pass-through traffic makes it unlikely drivers will be aware the systems are in use, making improvement in driver behavior unlikely.
More than 24,000 red-light camera tickets dismissed in Broward County
Mar 16, 2015 Local10 - ArticleExcerpts:
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. - More than 24,000 red-light camera ticket cases were dismissed in Broward County Monday after two judges ruled that the program violates the state statute.
In the latest case in Fort Lauderdale, a judge's order stated in part, "Based upon testimony and evidence presented, this Court finds that the procedures used by the city of Fort Lauderdale in accordance with its contract with ATS (American Traffic Solutions) violate the requirements of F.S. 316.0083 in that the city's representative does not actually create or issue the Uniform Traffic Citation."
Experts: City Hall has the evidence to lengthen yellow light times
Mar 16, 2015 Chicago Tribune - ArticleExcerpts:
For nearly two years, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration has had strong evidence that Chicago's yellow light times are too short for traffic conditions, thanks to a series of radar gun surveys the city conducted to support its speed camera program, the Tribune has found.
The speed findings bolster concerns from national experts who say Chicago drivers are at a greater risk for rear-end accidents due to the combination of red light cameras and 3-second yellow lights that are out of step with national practices.
Settlement of up to $18 million approved in red-light camera lawsuits in St. Louis County
Mar 14, 2015 STLToday.com - ArticleExcerpts:
ST. LOUIS COUNTY • A judge approved Friday an $18 million settlement in class-action lawsuits that challenged Missouri’s red-light camera laws, but only about $2.2 million is expected to be paid out.
Circuit Judge Tom W. DePriest Jr. certified a settlement reached in September that releases claims against 27 Missouri cities that have contracted with Tempe, Ariz.-based American Traffic Solutions Inc., which makes and installs the cameras.
At issue was issuance of tickets to vehicle owners instead of drivers, in what the nine suits claimed was a violation of Missouri law governing tickets for moving violations. They said it deprived them of due process of law. The cases were consolidated for the settlement.
Another judge declares New Miami speed cameras unconstitutional
Mar 4, 2015 Journal-News - ArticleExcerpts:
BUTLER COUNTY — Another Butler County judge has declared New Miami’s speed cameras unconstitutional, but there is still no word on whether the village will have to refund the $1.8 million it collected from ticketed motorists.
Littleton to end red-light camera program this summer
Mar 3, 2015 Denver Post - ArticleExcerpts:
City leaders on Tuesday voted to end Littleton's red-light camera program this summer, claiming the system has done little to reduce accidents in the city.
6 speed-camera firms ordered to compensate for bid rigging
Mar 2, 2015 Korea Times - ArticleExcerpts:
A court ordered six traffic enforcement or "speed" camera manufacturers, Monday, to pay the government some 6.7 billion won ($6 million) in compensation for bid rigging.
Florida: Appellate Ruling Hits Cities, Traffic Camera Firm
Feb 27, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The Florida cities that use red light cameras, and their vendors, are realizing the full impact of having the courts turn against them. Last October, the state Court of Appeals reversed its previously held position and decided that the outsourcing of traffic ticket issuance and review to private, for-profit companies could not be tolerated (view the Hollywood v. Arem decision).
Ft. Lauderdale felt the sting of this case on Monday as a Broward County magistrate cited the ruling and tossed out the $158 photo ticket that American Traffic Solutions (ATS) had mailed to Mary Welsh Wesolowski. After reviewing the evidence in the case, hearing officer Thomas M. Wich was not impressed by the effort Ft. Lauderdale puts into reviewing the citations.
Red-light camera lawsuits against Jefferson Parish, Redflex reinstated by appeals court
Feb 27, 2015 NOLA.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The battle over red-light camera fines in Jefferson Parish is headed back to district court, after appellate judges reversed decisions throwing out ticketed drivers' lawsuits against the parish and Redflex Traffic Systems.
The ruling, by a 5th Circuit Court of Appeal panel, raised questions about the parish's liability and Redflex's role in handling violations.
Montgomery, Pr. George’s school buses caught speeding, running red lights
Feb 25, 2015 WTOP.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The 7 On You Side I-Team found school bus drivers for local school districts, including Prince George’s and Montgomery counties, have received hundreds of citations issued over the last year and a half. The buses have been caught on red-light and speed cameras breaking the law.
Shorter Yellow Lights In Chicago Increase Chances Of Tickets
Feb 24, 2015 FiveThirtyEight.com - ArticleExcerpts:
But for Chicago drivers, it may be the nickel-and-diming that hurts the most. As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the city made several modifications to the standard formula used to set minimum yellow-light change times, all of which shorten the duration of yellow lights and increase the chance a driver will run a red and pay a fine.
When calculating the intervals, Chicago did not adopt the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ standard deceleration rate of 10 feet per second squared, opting instead for the 11.2 feet per second squared used by American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in its formula for braking time.
Abbeville Gives Red Light to Redflex
Feb 24, 2015 KATC.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Tuesday night, red light cameras got the red light in Abbeville.
A four to one vote putting the brakes on Redflex.
But for many of the council members, their vote of no just echoes what they say they've heard from their constituents.
DOT acknowledges its own red light camera report is misleading; local pols demand more transparency
Feb 22, 2015 SILive.com - ArticleExcerpts:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Local officials are calling for the city to be more transparent with its red light camera program.
Assemblyman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore) and Councilman Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) say their attempts to judge the efficacy of the program have been stymied by DOT's refusal to provide them with relevant crash data at red light camera sites on Staten Island.
The 2014 data AAA provided him -- the same information DOT provided the Advance last week -- shows that injuries actually increased by a cumulative 35 percent at the 26 intersections where red light cameras were installed on Staten Island.
For instance, red light cameras were placed at five locations on Staten Island where no traffic injuries were recorded in the three years prior to installation, according to the report. This fact prompted Borelli to wonder whether DOT had chosen camera locations based on perceived revenue opportunities and not safety.
Kenneth City council votes to get rid of red-light cameras
Feb 19, 2015 TampaBay.com - ArticleExcerpts:
KENNETH CITY — This town was the first in Pinellas to install red-light cameras. Now it's following the crowd in getting rid of them.
Council members recently voted unanimously to allow its contract with American Traffic Solutions to lapse. The vote means the seven cameras — some on 54th Avenue N and 66th Street, two of the busiest roadways in the county — will go dark Sept. 22.
Judge puts the brakes on scientific defense of school-zone camera ticket
Feb 17, 2015 TDN.com - ArticleExcerpts:
He brought his math to the courthouse, confident before the hearing that his reasoning would prevail and open a can of worms that could undermine the whole camera program.
“My question is, ‘What are they doing with those tickets, and are they fudging them to the next level?’ ” said Rayburn, who has a 30-year background in electronics and is a licensed pilot.
St. Peters officials move to end red-light camera contract
Feb 16, 2015 StLToday.com - ArticleExcerpts:
ST. PETERS • Mayor Len Pagano says St. Peters intends to keep its red-light cameras turned off even if the city wins a court case to overturn a countywide ban on the devices passed by voters in November.
Pagano said the Board of Aldermen is expected to approve a resolution next week seeking termination of the city’s nine-year-old contract with Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems to operate cameras.
Some elected leaders question data from NYC photo-enforcement cameras
Feb 14, 2015 Pix11.com - ArticleExcerpts:
New York City is required to release data about the cameras. But some elected leaders say they’re not getting enough information.
New York State Assembly Member Joe Borelli (R-Staten Island) and Council Member Vincent Ignizio (R-Staten Island) are among those calling for the release of additional statistics after initial data indicated an increase in crashes at camera locations in their borough.
Boca Raton halts use of red-light cameras amid legal challenges
Feb 11, 2015 Sun Sentinel - ArticleExcerpts:
Boca Raton has become the latest South Florida city to stop issuing tickets through its red-light cameras after a series of legal defeats for cities engaging in the practice.
The city joins local governments such as Palm Beach County, Hallandale Beach, Margate and Coral Springs in backing away from using such cameras to crack down on red-light runners.
Red-light cameras turned off in Daytona Beach
Feb 4, 2015 WFTV.com - ArticleExcerpts:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The city of Daytona Beach won't be issuing drivers any red-light camera violations in the immediate future.
The city turned the cameras off several weeks ago after a district court of appeal in South Florida ruled that a camera company shouldn't be allowed to determine what is or is not a violation.
Are speed cameras killing us? The stats say yes
Jan 31, 2015 CarAdvice.com.au - ArticleExcerpts:
Speed kills. Speed cameras save lives. We have heard it all before. But, two-hundred and forty-nine people people died in fatal traffic accidents on Victoria’s roads last year — a 2.5 per cent increase from 2013’s figure.
Mayor Emanuel's Motorcade Keeps Running Red Lights
Jan 30, 2015 Chicagoist.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The countdown clocks would be another thing the drivers in Emanuel's motorcade could ignore while they run red lights ferrying the mayor about town. The website "Crime in Wrigleyville and Boystown" listed five different incidents from November through mid-January where Emanuel's motorcade simply barreled through a red light—in one instance to literally enter a city park. We've include three of the incidents for your viewing pleasure.
Cambridge speed cameras to be removed
Jan 16, 2015 MyEasternShoreMD.com - ArticleExcerpts:
CAMBRIDGE — Optotraffic will soon be removing its speed cameras from Glasgow Street and Egypt Road here, according to information from the company sent to the city of Cambridge in a letter at the end of the year.
Puerto Rico Dumps Traffic Cameras, Orders Refunds
Jan 16, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
The public in Puerto Rico complained so loudly about the photo enforcement program that the territory's government listened. Red light cameras went up at three intersections in October dealing out $250 tickets for making rolling right turns, speeding or having a recently expired vehicle registration. On Thursday, Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla (D) had his transportation department refund every ticket issued.
De Blasio's Vision Zero smoke and mirrors
Jan 15, 2015 SILive.com - ArticleExcerpts:
But a closer look at fatality statistics show fluctuations in the numbers well before de Blasio implemented Vision Zero last year.
For example, the number of traffic fatalities overall dropped every year from 2001 to 2004, according to DOT statistics, from 394 to 297. The number of pedestrian fatalities also fell each of those years, from 194 to 155.
All without the benefit of Vision Zero.
Redflex begins dismantling its red-light photo enforcement system
Jan 14, 2015 Auburn-Reporter.com - ArticleExcerpts:
But last week, Redflex Traffic Systems began removing all of its above-ground equipment in Auburn, starting at the intersection of Auburn Way South and 4th Street Southeast, at Harvey Road and 8th Street Northeast, and in the various school zones.
Missouri: ATS Settles Illegal Red Light Camera Tickets
Jan 13, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
American Traffic Solutions (ATS) began issuing red light camera tickets in Missouri nearly a decade ago knowing what it was doing was illegal. Lawyers hired by the firm advised against acting without legislative authorization (view legal memo), but ATS pressed forward anyway, eager to seize the "first mover" advantage. ATS did lock up most of Missouri's contracts, and the firm's less daring competitors missed out. Now ATS is paying for its haste in the form of a partial refund.
California Appeal Court Finds Red Light Cameras Unreliable
Jan 12, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Legal controversy continues to dog California's automated enforcement programs, despite the best effort of state lawmakers to encourage photo ticketing. The second-highest court in California decided Thursday that the red light camera program in Riverside "did not produce reliable evidence" in rejecting the $500 citation that Redflex, a private, for-profit vendor, had mailed to Viktors Andris Rekte.
Rekte, a lawyer, challenged the ticket he received for allegedly making a rolling right turn a split-second after the signal turned red at the intersection of Tyler Street and State Route 91 on October 26, 2012. Rekte argued the charge should be thrown out because the yellow light was illegally short; he was not provided a copy of the video evidence before trial; the photo ticketing vendor set up equipment in a way that obscured the view of the traffic signal; and the evidence produced by Redflex lacked a proper foundation.
Lawsuit demands millions in refunds for speed cam tickets illegally issued on non-school days
Jan 9, 2015 Chicago Sun Times - ArticleExcerpts:
Chicago could be forced to refund millions of dollars in speed camera fines issued to “tens, if not hundreds of thousands” of motorists on “non-school days,” under a class-action lawsuit that accuses City Hall of thumbing its nose at state law.
Judge tosses 253 West Palm Beach red light camera cases
Jan 7, 2015 PalmBeachPost.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Hundreds of defendants who packed commission chambers at City Hall stood and cheered as Ira Raab made good on the promise he’d made in November: that he’d toss all of the cases today unless the Fourth District Court of Appeal, or the Florida Supreme Court stopped him.
State red light cam report downplays [ignores] crashes
Jan 2, 2015 WTSP.com - ArticleExcerpts:
TAMPA BAY, Florida -- The state's Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) just completed its annual red light camera report, but for the first time, the summary did not include any information on the number of crashes at red light camera intersections. It also did not include any legislative recommendations, as required by the state's red light camera (RLC) law.
The DHSMV's previous annual summaries focused on how many municipalities reported drops in crashes after installing cameras, even including an "effect on safety" section in the report. But 10 Investigates reported in 2013 the summary didn't tell the whole story, as many cities and counties reported increases in crashes. Other communities failed to turn in their legally-required stats at all.
Texas: Mayor Has Police Chief Dismiss Camera Ticket Issued To His Employer
Jan 2, 2015 TheNewspaper.com - ArticleExcerpts:
Motorists who receive a red light camera ticket often find themselves in an uphill battle to defend their innocence, in many cases finding they have no chance of appeal. That is not the case for officials in Willis, Texas where the police chief asked American Traffic Solutions, the Arizona-based company in charge of issuing automated traffic tickets, to dismiss a citation mailed to the mayor's employer.