Traffic camera ban sought by some Ohio lawmakers: Road Rant

Traffic camera.jpg View full size Legislation introduced at the Statehouse could prohibit Cleveland and other Ohio communities from red-light and speed enforcement cameras. Plain Dealer file Some state lawmakers want to ban the controversial red-light and speed cameras that ticket thousands of motorists a month in Cleveland and more than a dozen other towns in Ohio. Legislation introduced last month would prohibit communities, counties and the State Highway Patrol from using photo-monitoring devices to enforce traffic laws. State Rep. Zack Milkovich, a Democrat from Akron, said the cameras siphon money out of people's wallets. Milkovich is a cosponsor of the bill, which has bipartisan support. "They're oppressive to folks just trying to put food on the table," said Milkovich, who added that he regularly hears complaints about the devices. "It's a little bit too much." Cleveland officials believe the proposed legislation is unconstitutional given a city's right to home rule, said Maureen Harper, the communications chief for the mayor's office. The city's photo enforcement program began at the end of 2005. Annual reports and court records show that Cleveland's cameras clicked out more than a half-million tickets during the first six years of the program, through December 2011. Fines and fees collected on those citations amount to more than $47 million. Camera-generated tickets in Cleveland start at $100. Violations qualify as a civil offense and don't go on a driver's license record. More than a dozen other Ohio cities currently aim cameras at traffic, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The list includes East Cleveland, Parma and Parma Heights in Cuyahoga County, as well as Akron in Summit County. Other local communities, including Shaker Heights, are considering programs. red-light-camera-tickets-and-fines-cleveland-ohio.jpg View full size The Plain Dealer Voters in several Ohio communities, including Garfield Heights and South Euclid, have used the ballot box to outlaw photo enforcement on their streets. Ohio law does not address traffic enforcement cameras, so communities operate their programs under local ordinances. The Ohio Supreme Court unanimously ruled in 2008 that cities do not overstep their authority by using the devices as an enforcement tool. On Thursday, however, a common pleas court judge in Hamilton County ordered a Cincinnati suburb to halt its camera program. In his decision, Judge Robert Ruehlman wrote that the village's traffic camera system violated a motorist's constitutional right to due process. He called the setup "a scam that motorists can't win." Nine states have passed laws prohibiting the use of red-light cameras, while 12 outlaw speed cameras, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Akron's communications director, Stephanie York, said a "blanket prohibition" on traffic cameras in Ohio would be disappointing. Akron uses speed cameras exclusively in school zones to monitor traffic during student arrival and dismissal. The city began the program in 2005 after a car hit and killed a 10-year-old boy in a crosswalk. York said the city's program is targeted and effective. Akron's cameras caught 11,000 speeders last school year. The tickets generated more than a half-million dollars that went toward child safety programs. "There are ways that cameras can and should be used," York said. "That's where the focus should be." The legislation has been assigned to the House's Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee for discussion. http://www.cleveland.com/roadrant/index.ssf/2013/03/traffic_camera_ban_sought.html