CAMBRIDGE After apparently receiving many complaints from city residents about the recent use of speed cameras, council members considered raising the speed limit in certain school zones and adding flashing lights in all school zones at Monday night's council meeting.
City commissioners in March selected Optotraffic, a Maryland-based company that provides photo enforcement solutions for red light and speeding violations, to provide speed camera services to Cambridge. The city and Optotraffic decided to use two portable cameras throughout all school zones in the city for year-round enforcement.
In July, the mayor and council designated specific school zones and speed limits for all school zones. The speed cameras are in effect from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sandy Hill school's zone on Glasgow Street and Maple Elementary school's zone on Egypt Road have a speed limit of 15 mph. Between 6 and 7 a.m. and 4 and 8 p.m., the speed limit is 25 mph in these zones.
Two speed cameras were set up from July 15 to Aug. 14 on Glasgow Street and Egypt Road during a warning period to make drivers aware these speed cameras were going to be in effect. The speed cameras then became effective Aug. 15. Tickets are issued to those traveling 12 mph or more over the posted speed limit.
After apparently several city residents expressed confusion, anger and resistance toward these cameras, Commissioner Gage Thomas said the Traffic and Safety Committee had discussed the possibility of installing flashing lights at the speed limit signs in all school zones as a warning that drivers are entering a school zone.
Department of Public Works director Oden Wheeler said flashing lights could be installed at the speed limit signs in each school zone and could be turned on and off at the city's discretion.
The flashing lights that DPW was looking at possibly installing, said Wheeler, are solar lights. He said the cost to purchase one pole is $3,075, which means it would cost about $6,100 per school zone. That does not include installation costs, he said.
Wheeler said DPW looked at the possibility of a barricade light, but the lights are hard to see during the day. The barricade lights would operate all day, said Wheeler, and are battery operated. He said it would cost less than $1,000 per school zone to purchase and install.
Thomas recommended revisiting the discussion to use flashing lights in school zones in six months. The motion passed with a four to one vote, with Commissioner Robert Hanson voting no.
After several city residents apparently expressed outrage at the speed limit in these school zones being as low as 15 mph even when school is not in session, Thomas said the Traffic and Safety Committee reviewed the possibility of raising the speed limit to 20 mph in the Maces Lane, Glasgow Street and Egypt Road school zones.
Thomas said after review, the committee recommended that the speed limits not be raised to 20 mph.
Commissioner Donald Sydnor said "the speeds have been set." He said laws are made for lawbreakers and if "you're going the speed limit than you'll be fine."
Cambridge Police Chief Kenneth Malik said raising the speed limit to 20 mph would defeat the purpose of the speed cameras, which is for the safety of the children. He said raising the speed limit would allow driver to travel 31 mph through a school zone before being issued a ticket if the speed limit was raised to 20 mph.
Commissioner Robert Hanson made a motion to increase the speed limit in the Maces Lane, Glasgow Street and Egypt Road school zones to 20 mph. The motion failed in a 3-2vote, with Commissioners Thomas, Sydnor and Frank Stout voting against the motion.
http://www.stardem.com/article_25f4a575-f1af-5c0d-8fe8-cde894d3b800.html
Monday, October 3, 2011
Brooksville shouldn't turn to red-light cameras to make ends meet
The city of Brooksville is again looking in the wrong direction to bolster its bottom line. Council members are resurrecting the misguided idea of using red-light cameras for traffic enforcement.
Despite protests to the contrary, this is not about enhanced safety. Statewide, more than half of all accidents are caused by careless driving or failing to yield the right of way, but nobody has figured out a way to automate enforcement of those road rules to turn a quick buck. Instead the focus is on the lucrative tickets from red-light cameras, even though running a red light caused less than 2.7 percent of the fatal crashes in Florida last year.
The city has used this tactic before but abandoned the cameras in 2010 amid questions about the validity of the safety data. The potential cash-grab is back with the council scheduled to consider a proposal Monday under which the city and camera vendor, Sensys America, would split the revenue from as many as 240 tickets monthly so that each pockets $4,500.
But this number mattered more during the previous debate: 97 — the percentage of red-light camera tickets issued to non-city residents during the prior two years. A council majority wisely said they feared red-light cameras were counterproductive to economic development and the notoriety of the enforcement could push visitors away from the downtown business district. The council shouldn't stray from that logic.
Another consideration, not part of the prior debate, is the legality of the ticket-writing operation. Defense lawyers have successfully questioned some camera vendors' shoddy chain of evidence practice. Others have undermined the cameras' use by noting the unequal fines between tickets issued by cameras as compared with those written by police officers. The result is that some camera systems are falling far short of the revenue projections promised to the local governments.
Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, the state House of Representatives passed legislation in May banning red-light cameras, but the measure did not come to the Senate for a vote. It is imprudent for Brooksville to charge ahead with reinstallation of the cameras (and, more dangerously, accounting for new revenue that may not materialize) since the Legislature will try again in 2012.
"Unequivocally, I can tell you there will be all sorts of legislation filed dealing with red-light cameras," said Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-New Port Richey, who sponsored the 2011 bill banning them.
There is no question that it was a difficult budget season in Brooksville where the city had to pare more than $400,000 to make ends met. But using red-light cameras to tap the pockets of out-of-town motorists shouldn't be the first remedy used to avoid a repeat.
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/brooksville-shouldnt-turn-to-red-light-cameras-to-make-ends-meet/1194744
Despite protests to the contrary, this is not about enhanced safety. Statewide, more than half of all accidents are caused by careless driving or failing to yield the right of way, but nobody has figured out a way to automate enforcement of those road rules to turn a quick buck. Instead the focus is on the lucrative tickets from red-light cameras, even though running a red light caused less than 2.7 percent of the fatal crashes in Florida last year.
The city has used this tactic before but abandoned the cameras in 2010 amid questions about the validity of the safety data. The potential cash-grab is back with the council scheduled to consider a proposal Monday under which the city and camera vendor, Sensys America, would split the revenue from as many as 240 tickets monthly so that each pockets $4,500.
But this number mattered more during the previous debate: 97 — the percentage of red-light camera tickets issued to non-city residents during the prior two years. A council majority wisely said they feared red-light cameras were counterproductive to economic development and the notoriety of the enforcement could push visitors away from the downtown business district. The council shouldn't stray from that logic.
Another consideration, not part of the prior debate, is the legality of the ticket-writing operation. Defense lawyers have successfully questioned some camera vendors' shoddy chain of evidence practice. Others have undermined the cameras' use by noting the unequal fines between tickets issued by cameras as compared with those written by police officers. The result is that some camera systems are falling far short of the revenue projections promised to the local governments.
Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, the state House of Representatives passed legislation in May banning red-light cameras, but the measure did not come to the Senate for a vote. It is imprudent for Brooksville to charge ahead with reinstallation of the cameras (and, more dangerously, accounting for new revenue that may not materialize) since the Legislature will try again in 2012.
"Unequivocally, I can tell you there will be all sorts of legislation filed dealing with red-light cameras," said Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-New Port Richey, who sponsored the 2011 bill banning them.
There is no question that it was a difficult budget season in Brooksville where the city had to pare more than $400,000 to make ends met. But using red-light cameras to tap the pockets of out-of-town motorists shouldn't be the first remedy used to avoid a repeat.
http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/brooksville-shouldnt-turn-to-red-light-cameras-to-make-ends-meet/1194744
Friday, September 30, 2011
Pasco man gets ticket in mail for going through green light
Randy Rice got quite a surprise recently when he received a $158 ticket through the mail from the New Port Richey Police Department for running a red light.
"Living paycheck to paycheck like I am, you come home on a Friday, imagine that," said the New Port Richey resident.
The ticket stated that he had run a red light at the intersection of U.S. 19 and Main Street on Sept. 2. The piece of paper included two dark photos of his car and license plate.
Rice said he didn't remember running a red light, so he went online to take a close look at the pictures. When he pulled up the website, he discovered the cameras also captured video. What he saw shocked him.
"I saw clearly the light was green," he said.
The video shows Rice's blue Hyundai SUV in the far left lane of traffic going through a green light. The camera flashes twice as he rolls through the intersection.
"Right away now I'm thinking, well, What do you do?" he asked. "Do you fight city hall or what?"
The back of the citation included language Rice found to be intimidating. It clearly states that anyone who decides to fight a ticket is subject to $500 in extra fines and court costs. But Rice decided the video evidence would clear him, so he called a customer service number listed on the back.
"A lady answered the phone, and said, 'Yes sir, you're absolutely in the right here.' "
He was relieved to get his ticket dismissed so easily, but Rice was concerned there could be a problem with the cameras. It also bothered him that the police department didn't catch the mistake before the ticket was mailed.
"If one person is falsely accused, and they pay it without looking into it, just assuming that the city is doing the right thing, then that's a big problem with me," he said.
The video shows Rice's blue Hyundai SUV in the far left lane of traffic going through a green light. The camera flashes twice as he rolls through the intersection.
"Right away now I'm thinking, well, What do you do?" he asked. "Do you fight city hall or what?"
The back of the citation included language Rice found to be intimidating. It clearly states that anyone who decides to fight a ticket is subject to $500 in extra fines and court costs. But Rice decided the video evidence would clear him, so he called a customer service number listed on the back.
"A lady answered the phone, and said, 'Yes sir, you're absolutely in the right here.' "
He was relieved to get his ticket dismissed so easily, but Rice was concerned there could be a problem with the cameras. It also bothered him that the police department didn't catch the mistake before the ticket was mailed.
"If one person is falsely accused, and they pay it without looking into it, just assuming that the city is doing the right thing, then that's a big problem with me," he said.
The police department looked into Rice's case.
Lt. James Steffens said there is a comprehensive system in place to screen each ticket. The city's red light cameras are operated by a company called American Traffic Solutions, based in Phoenix.
ATS downloads all the alleged infractions taken by the cameras. ATS employees do an initial review of the photos before sending it along to law enforcement. Once the ticket reaches the police department, another officer inspects the photos before the ticket is sent out to the driver.
Steffens believes Rice's ticket somehow slipped through the cracks.
"We have to be the best we can be each and every day," he said. "When we do make an error, a human error, we have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
New Port Richey installed red light cameras in June. The department has received approximately 13,000 alleged infractions from ATS. Officers have rejected more than 6,000 of those tickets. Steffens said it's a sign the system works.
"We haven't had this happen before. We're very cognizant of the sensibilities involved here," he said.
Charles Territo, vice president of communications for ATS, confirmed Steffens's assessment of the case.
"There are always humans involved in this process," Territo said. "Where there are humans, there's the potential for error."
Territo reviewed Rice's video. He said it appears Rice's tire may have crossed the white line and triggered a sensor in the left turn lane.
"The camera did what it was supposed to do, it sensed a vehicle was close to a lane where it could potentially violate a traffic law," Territo said.
But screeners at ATS, or the police department, should have caught the mistake.
"That's why the video is sent to the offender," he said. "That video can be used to either show innocence or guilt, and in this case it's clear the video was used to exonerate the driver."
Rice is glad he took the time to investigate the ticket, but he's not happy the ticket found its way to his mailbox in the first place.
"If they're going to enforce these red light tickets, then they need to be perfect in my opinion," he said.
nshepherd@wfla.com (813) 225-2703
http://www2.tbo.com/news/pasco-news/2011/sep/28/1/pasco-man-gets-ticket-in-mail-for-going-through-gr-ar-261590/
"Living paycheck to paycheck like I am, you come home on a Friday, imagine that," said the New Port Richey resident.
The ticket stated that he had run a red light at the intersection of U.S. 19 and Main Street on Sept. 2. The piece of paper included two dark photos of his car and license plate.
Rice said he didn't remember running a red light, so he went online to take a close look at the pictures. When he pulled up the website, he discovered the cameras also captured video. What he saw shocked him.
"I saw clearly the light was green," he said.
The video shows Rice's blue Hyundai SUV in the far left lane of traffic going through a green light. The camera flashes twice as he rolls through the intersection.
"Right away now I'm thinking, well, What do you do?" he asked. "Do you fight city hall or what?"
The back of the citation included language Rice found to be intimidating. It clearly states that anyone who decides to fight a ticket is subject to $500 in extra fines and court costs. But Rice decided the video evidence would clear him, so he called a customer service number listed on the back.
"A lady answered the phone, and said, 'Yes sir, you're absolutely in the right here.' "
He was relieved to get his ticket dismissed so easily, but Rice was concerned there could be a problem with the cameras. It also bothered him that the police department didn't catch the mistake before the ticket was mailed.
"If one person is falsely accused, and they pay it without looking into it, just assuming that the city is doing the right thing, then that's a big problem with me," he said.
The video shows Rice's blue Hyundai SUV in the far left lane of traffic going through a green light. The camera flashes twice as he rolls through the intersection.
"Right away now I'm thinking, well, What do you do?" he asked. "Do you fight city hall or what?"
The back of the citation included language Rice found to be intimidating. It clearly states that anyone who decides to fight a ticket is subject to $500 in extra fines and court costs. But Rice decided the video evidence would clear him, so he called a customer service number listed on the back.
"A lady answered the phone, and said, 'Yes sir, you're absolutely in the right here.' "
He was relieved to get his ticket dismissed so easily, but Rice was concerned there could be a problem with the cameras. It also bothered him that the police department didn't catch the mistake before the ticket was mailed.
"If one person is falsely accused, and they pay it without looking into it, just assuming that the city is doing the right thing, then that's a big problem with me," he said.
The police department looked into Rice's case.
Lt. James Steffens said there is a comprehensive system in place to screen each ticket. The city's red light cameras are operated by a company called American Traffic Solutions, based in Phoenix.
ATS downloads all the alleged infractions taken by the cameras. ATS employees do an initial review of the photos before sending it along to law enforcement. Once the ticket reaches the police department, another officer inspects the photos before the ticket is sent out to the driver.
Steffens believes Rice's ticket somehow slipped through the cracks.
"We have to be the best we can be each and every day," he said. "When we do make an error, a human error, we have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
New Port Richey installed red light cameras in June. The department has received approximately 13,000 alleged infractions from ATS. Officers have rejected more than 6,000 of those tickets. Steffens said it's a sign the system works.
"We haven't had this happen before. We're very cognizant of the sensibilities involved here," he said.
Charles Territo, vice president of communications for ATS, confirmed Steffens's assessment of the case.
"There are always humans involved in this process," Territo said. "Where there are humans, there's the potential for error."
Territo reviewed Rice's video. He said it appears Rice's tire may have crossed the white line and triggered a sensor in the left turn lane.
"The camera did what it was supposed to do, it sensed a vehicle was close to a lane where it could potentially violate a traffic law," Territo said.
But screeners at ATS, or the police department, should have caught the mistake.
"That's why the video is sent to the offender," he said. "That video can be used to either show innocence or guilt, and in this case it's clear the video was used to exonerate the driver."
Rice is glad he took the time to investigate the ticket, but he's not happy the ticket found its way to his mailbox in the first place.
"If they're going to enforce these red light tickets, then they need to be perfect in my opinion," he said.
nshepherd@wfla.com (813) 225-2703
http://www2.tbo.com/news/pasco-news/2011/sep/28/1/pasco-man-gets-ticket-in-mail-for-going-through-gr-ar-261590/
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Eyman files suit against city concerning traffic-enforcement cameras
State initiative advocate Tim Eyman wants a judge to decide the next step of Redmond's first-ever, citizen-driven initiative concerning the city's controversial traffic-enforcement program.
Eyman, a co-sponsor of the initiative, hired an attorney, who filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court earlier today, ordering Redmond's city clerk to forward the petition she received earlier this month to the county auditor.
"Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the City Council have made a conscious decision to violate the law," according to Eyman's sworn declaration filed by Seattle attorney Daniel Quick.
Quick asserts that state law requires the city to forward the signatures to the county auditor to validate the signatures. In the motion and memorandum, he cited RCW 35.21.005, which states: "Within three working days after the filing of a petition, the officer with whom the petition is filed shall transmit the petition to the county auditor for petitions signed by registered voters, or to the county assessor for petitions signed by property owners for determination of sufficiency."
The lawsuit was filed after the mayor announced last week that the city has no plans of turning the 6,050 signatures over to the county auditor to be validated for a possible ballot item in a special election next February. Marchione said last week that city officials believe the petition is not legally subject to initiative, based a court ruling earlier this month in Bellingham.
Eyman said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the county's chief presiding judge will sign an order ordering the city to forward the initiative petitions to the auditor.
"I think proving harm literally is an impossible task," Eyman said. "What's the harm in letting the initiative to proceed?"
Union Hill resident Scott Harlan, another co-sponsor of the initiative who led the signature campaign to put the issue on the ballot, said the city needs to follow state law."It is unconscionable for the city to have done what they have done," Harlan said.
"You cannot have a city sort of sit on these (signatures) and set a precedent down the road."
A hearing on the motion will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. The hearing is set for the same day as a scheduled City Council study session, where council members will deliberate the future of the city's pilot traffic-enforcement program, which features three red-light cameras an one school-zone speed camera.
City officials contend that a public vote by be a moot point if council members vote to end the contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) before the Dec. 1 deadline.
Elected officials were advised by City Attorney Jim Haney that they were not required to forward the petition based on a recent state Court of Appeals decision Bellingham, Marchione said last Wednesday afternoon. The three-judge panel Court of Appeals ruled Bellingham's initiative to ban the cameras can stay on the November ballot, but it will not be legally binding.
But in Bellingham, the court is still allowing the issue to be put before the voters, while Redmond is trying to block a public vote, Eyman said.
"Even in the case they are citing, the court is allowing the vote to happen," Eyman said. "They don't have a legal leg to stand on."
Eyman added that the Bellingham case is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Marchione said last week that the cost of the special election, estimated at $70,000-80,000, is another reason for not forwarding the petition to the county.
In Eyman's sworn declaration, he wrote "Mayor Marchione should not be allowed to blatantly violate state law in order to avoid the costly inconvenience of democracy."
The city has yet to be officially served with notice of a court hearing on the potential initiative petition, according to Redmond's deputy administrator Jane Christenson. The city did release the following statement:
"Following the City's legal review, we are advised the proposed Redmond initiative is virtually identical to the City of Bellingham initiative deemed invalid by a recent Court of Appeals ruling and not subject to the initiative process. Despite the court's ruling on the petition's validity, the Council and Mayor have heard the perspective of our residents who signed it, and will consider this along with all the data and other feedback we have received as part of our pilot traffic/school zone safety program review at a study session scheduled for October 11. The city's evaluation on whether or not to continue the pilot program will be completed by December, well before the proposed referendum can be held in February."
News of the lawsuit comes as the city continues its evaluation process of the pilot program, which began with a one-month warning period last February.
The Redmond Police Department will release the latest traffic violation data at today's (Sept. 27) City Council public safety committee meeting at City Hall at 4:30. Council members will discuss the matter at its Oct. 11 study session and vote on the issue as early as the Oct. 18 business meeting or as late as Nov. 29, which would require a special session by the council. The city has until Dec. 1 to submit its plans to extend the program or not to the camera vendor, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), according to the camera contract.
Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/sound/article/Eyman-files-suit-against-city-concerning-2193539.php#ixzz1ZLWa4IQK
Eyman, a co-sponsor of the initiative, hired an attorney, who filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court earlier today, ordering Redmond's city clerk to forward the petition she received earlier this month to the county auditor.
"Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the City Council have made a conscious decision to violate the law," according to Eyman's sworn declaration filed by Seattle attorney Daniel Quick.
Quick asserts that state law requires the city to forward the signatures to the county auditor to validate the signatures. In the motion and memorandum, he cited RCW 35.21.005, which states: "Within three working days after the filing of a petition, the officer with whom the petition is filed shall transmit the petition to the county auditor for petitions signed by registered voters, or to the county assessor for petitions signed by property owners for determination of sufficiency."
The lawsuit was filed after the mayor announced last week that the city has no plans of turning the 6,050 signatures over to the county auditor to be validated for a possible ballot item in a special election next February. Marchione said last week that city officials believe the petition is not legally subject to initiative, based a court ruling earlier this month in Bellingham.
Eyman said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the county's chief presiding judge will sign an order ordering the city to forward the initiative petitions to the auditor.
"I think proving harm literally is an impossible task," Eyman said. "What's the harm in letting the initiative to proceed?"
Union Hill resident Scott Harlan, another co-sponsor of the initiative who led the signature campaign to put the issue on the ballot, said the city needs to follow state law."It is unconscionable for the city to have done what they have done," Harlan said.
"You cannot have a city sort of sit on these (signatures) and set a precedent down the road."
A hearing on the motion will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. The hearing is set for the same day as a scheduled City Council study session, where council members will deliberate the future of the city's pilot traffic-enforcement program, which features three red-light cameras an one school-zone speed camera.
City officials contend that a public vote by be a moot point if council members vote to end the contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) before the Dec. 1 deadline.
Elected officials were advised by City Attorney Jim Haney that they were not required to forward the petition based on a recent state Court of Appeals decision Bellingham, Marchione said last Wednesday afternoon. The three-judge panel Court of Appeals ruled Bellingham's initiative to ban the cameras can stay on the November ballot, but it will not be legally binding.
But in Bellingham, the court is still allowing the issue to be put before the voters, while Redmond is trying to block a public vote, Eyman said.
"Even in the case they are citing, the court is allowing the vote to happen," Eyman said. "They don't have a legal leg to stand on."
Eyman added that the Bellingham case is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Marchione said last week that the cost of the special election, estimated at $70,000-80,000, is another reason for not forwarding the petition to the county.
In Eyman's sworn declaration, he wrote "Mayor Marchione should not be allowed to blatantly violate state law in order to avoid the costly inconvenience of democracy."
The city has yet to be officially served with notice of a court hearing on the potential initiative petition, according to Redmond's deputy administrator Jane Christenson. The city did release the following statement:
"Following the City's legal review, we are advised the proposed Redmond initiative is virtually identical to the City of Bellingham initiative deemed invalid by a recent Court of Appeals ruling and not subject to the initiative process. Despite the court's ruling on the petition's validity, the Council and Mayor have heard the perspective of our residents who signed it, and will consider this along with all the data and other feedback we have received as part of our pilot traffic/school zone safety program review at a study session scheduled for October 11. The city's evaluation on whether or not to continue the pilot program will be completed by December, well before the proposed referendum can be held in February."
News of the lawsuit comes as the city continues its evaluation process of the pilot program, which began with a one-month warning period last February.
The Redmond Police Department will release the latest traffic violation data at today's (Sept. 27) City Council public safety committee meeting at City Hall at 4:30. Council members will discuss the matter at its Oct. 11 study session and vote on the issue as early as the Oct. 18 business meeting or as late as Nov. 29, which would require a special session by the council. The city has until Dec. 1 to submit its plans to extend the program or not to the camera vendor, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), according to the camera contract.
Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/sound/article/Eyman-files-suit-against-city-concerning-2193539.php#ixzz1ZLWa4IQK
Redmond Traffic-Cam Violations Down, Collisions Up
New data released Tuesday indicate the number of violations at Redmond's camera-enforced intersections is declining, but the frequency of collisions is also increasing.
According to the new numbers, which were presented at a Redmond City Council public safety committee meeting, the total number of violations declined by 43.7 percent between March and August of this year. Collisions at the three intersections with red-light cameras, meanwhile, increased from 14 in January through August of 2010 to 19 during the same time period this year.
The city's controversial camera enforcement pilot program has been in place since February. It includes red-light cameras eastbound on Redmond Way at 148th Avenue NE, which is just east of the Redmond/Kirkland line on Rose Hill; eastbound and westbound on NE 40th Street at 156th Avenue NE; and westbound on Union Hill Road and northbound on Avondale Road where those two roads intersect. A speed zone camera is also located at Einstein Elementary, 18025 NE 116th St.
Fines for camera-enforced violations are $124.
Part of the decrease in violations that was reported Tuesday can be attributed to a camera malfunction at Redmond Way and 148th Avenue Northeast, where the number of violations declined from 871 in March to 384 in August. The camera malfunctioned in May, June and July but was working properly in August, according to the Redmond Police Department.
The speed camera near Einstein Elementary on Northeast 116th Street was also turned off during the summer months when school was not in session.
Anti-camera activist Scott Harlan says he believes the 43.7-percent reduction in violations has been skewed by both the camera malfunctions and the police department's rate of rejecting potential violations, which increased from a monthly average of 501 rejections between March and June to an average of 551 rejections per month between March and August.
"While the police department has clearly been fine-tuning its review process for the better, those dramatic changes in the review process skew all of the earlier citation data reported as part of the program," Harlan said in an email he sent to the city council and members of the local media.
Department officials have said previously that officers who review videos of potential violations use the same discretion they apply while on patrol. Police spokesman Jim Bove said that process has not changed since the camera program began, although different people have had the duty of reviewing the videotapes.
“Nothing has changed, but the thing to understand is it’s not always the same person doing it,” Bove said.
City council member Hank Myers, who is also chairman of the public safety committee, said he is pleased the number of rejected violations is increasing.
"I think we're getting a little more sophisticated in determining what a violation is," he said.
Myers also said the violations have brought in approximately $630,000 through August. Much of that money is being used to pay for court costs, however, and the city will not find out how much it will receive until the end of the year.
The city council must decide whether to renew its contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions before Dec. 1. Council members are scheduled to begin discussing the matter at an Oct. 11 study session.
The entire report presented at the committee meeting is attached to this story and can also be viewed by clicking here.
http://kirkland.patch.com/articles/redmond-traffic-cam-violations-down-collisions-up
According to the new numbers, which were presented at a Redmond City Council public safety committee meeting, the total number of violations declined by 43.7 percent between March and August of this year. Collisions at the three intersections with red-light cameras, meanwhile, increased from 14 in January through August of 2010 to 19 during the same time period this year.
The city's controversial camera enforcement pilot program has been in place since February. It includes red-light cameras eastbound on Redmond Way at 148th Avenue NE, which is just east of the Redmond/Kirkland line on Rose Hill; eastbound and westbound on NE 40th Street at 156th Avenue NE; and westbound on Union Hill Road and northbound on Avondale Road where those two roads intersect. A speed zone camera is also located at Einstein Elementary, 18025 NE 116th St.
Fines for camera-enforced violations are $124.
Part of the decrease in violations that was reported Tuesday can be attributed to a camera malfunction at Redmond Way and 148th Avenue Northeast, where the number of violations declined from 871 in March to 384 in August. The camera malfunctioned in May, June and July but was working properly in August, according to the Redmond Police Department.
The speed camera near Einstein Elementary on Northeast 116th Street was also turned off during the summer months when school was not in session.
Anti-camera activist Scott Harlan says he believes the 43.7-percent reduction in violations has been skewed by both the camera malfunctions and the police department's rate of rejecting potential violations, which increased from a monthly average of 501 rejections between March and June to an average of 551 rejections per month between March and August.
"While the police department has clearly been fine-tuning its review process for the better, those dramatic changes in the review process skew all of the earlier citation data reported as part of the program," Harlan said in an email he sent to the city council and members of the local media.
Department officials have said previously that officers who review videos of potential violations use the same discretion they apply while on patrol. Police spokesman Jim Bove said that process has not changed since the camera program began, although different people have had the duty of reviewing the videotapes.
“Nothing has changed, but the thing to understand is it’s not always the same person doing it,” Bove said.
City council member Hank Myers, who is also chairman of the public safety committee, said he is pleased the number of rejected violations is increasing.
"I think we're getting a little more sophisticated in determining what a violation is," he said.
Myers also said the violations have brought in approximately $630,000 through August. Much of that money is being used to pay for court costs, however, and the city will not find out how much it will receive until the end of the year.
The city council must decide whether to renew its contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions before Dec. 1. Council members are scheduled to begin discussing the matter at an Oct. 11 study session.
The entire report presented at the committee meeting is attached to this story and can also be viewed by clicking here.
http://kirkland.patch.com/articles/redmond-traffic-cam-violations-down-collisions-up
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Eyman files suit against city concerning traffic-enforcement cameras
State initiative advocate Tim Eyman wants a judge to decide the next step of Redmond's first-ever, citizen-driven initiative concerning the city's controversial traffic-enforcement program.
Eyman, a co-sponsor of the initiative, hired an attorney, who filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court earlier today, ordering Redmond's city clerk to forward the petition she received earlier this month to the county auditor.
"Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the City Council have made a conscious decision to violate the law," according to Eyman's sworn declaration filed by Seattle attorney Daniel Quick.
Quick asserts that state law requires the city to forward the signatures to the county auditor to validate the signatures. In the motion and memorandum, he cited RCW 35.21.005, which states: "Within three working days after the filing of a petition, the officer with whom the petition is filed shall transmit the petition to the county auditor for petitions signed by registered voters, or to the county assessor for petitions signed by property owners for determination of sufficiency."
The lawsuit was filed after the mayor announced last week that the city has no plans of turning the 6,050 signatures over to the county auditor to be validated for a possible ballot item in a special election next February. Marchione said last week that city officials believe the petition is not legally subject to initiative, based a court ruling earlier this month in Bellingham.
Eyman said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the county's chief presiding judge will sign an order showing the city's refusal to process the initiative petition. Eyman said the city would have to prove that there was harm in turning over the petitions.
"I think proving harm literally is an impossible task," Eyman said. "What's the harm in letting the initiative to proceed?"
Union Hill resident Scott Harlan, another co-sponsor of the initiative who led the signature campaign to put the issue on the ballot, said the city needs to follow state law."It is unconscionable for the city to have done what they have done," Harlan said.
"You cannot have a city sort of sit on these (signatures) and set a precedent down the road."
A hearing on the motion will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. The hearing is set for the same day as a scheduled City Council study session, where council members will deliberate the future of the city's pilot traffic-enforcement program, which features three red-light cameras an one school-zone speed camera.
City officials contend that a public vote by be a moot point if council members vote to end the contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) before the Dec. 1 deadline.
Elected officials were advised by City Attorney Jim Haney that they were not required to forward the petition based on a recent state Court of Appeals decision Bellingham, Marchione said last Wednesday afternoon. The three-judge panel Court of Appeals ruled Bellingham's initiative to ban the cameras can stay on the November ballot, but it will not be legally binding.
But in Bellingham, the court is still allowing the issue to be put before the voters, while Redmond is trying to block a public vote, Eyman said.
"Even in the case they are citing, the court is allowing the vote to happen," Eyman said. "They don't have a legal leg to stand on."
Eyman added that the Bellingham case is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Marchione said last week that the cost of the special election, estimated at $70,000-80,000, is another reason for not forwarding the petition to the county.
In Eyman's sworn declaration, he wrote "Mayor Marchione should not be allowed to blatantly violate state law in order to avoid the costly inconvenience of democracy."
The city has yet to be officially served with notice of a court hearing on the potential initiative petition, according to Redmond's deputy administrator Jane Christenson. The city did release the following statement:
"Following the City's legal review, we are advised the proposed Redmond initiative is virtually identical to the City of Bellingham initiative deemed invalid by a recent Court of Appeals ruling and not subject to the initiative process. Despite the court's ruling on the petition's validity, the Council and Mayor have heard the perspective of our residents who signed it, and will consider this along with all the data and other feedback we have received as part of our pilot traffic/school zone safety program review at a study session scheduled for October 11. The city's evaluation on whether or not to continue the pilot program will be completed by December, well before the proposed referendum can be held in February."
News of the lawsuit comes as the city continues its evaluation process of the pilot program, which began with a one-month warning period last February.
The Redmond Police Department will release the latest traffic violation data at today's (Sept. 27) City Council public safety committee meeting at City Hall at 4:30. Council members will discuss the matter at its Oct. 11 study session and vote on the issue as early as the Oct. 18 business meeting or as late as Nov. 29, which would require a special session by the council. The city has until Dec. 1 to submit its plans to extend the program or not to the camera vendor, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), according to the camera contract.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/news/130669183.html
Eyman, a co-sponsor of the initiative, hired an attorney, who filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court earlier today, ordering Redmond's city clerk to forward the petition she received earlier this month to the county auditor.
"Redmond Mayor John Marchione and the City Council have made a conscious decision to violate the law," according to Eyman's sworn declaration filed by Seattle attorney Daniel Quick.
Quick asserts that state law requires the city to forward the signatures to the county auditor to validate the signatures. In the motion and memorandum, he cited RCW 35.21.005, which states: "Within three working days after the filing of a petition, the officer with whom the petition is filed shall transmit the petition to the county auditor for petitions signed by registered voters, or to the county assessor for petitions signed by property owners for determination of sufficiency."
The lawsuit was filed after the mayor announced last week that the city has no plans of turning the 6,050 signatures over to the county auditor to be validated for a possible ballot item in a special election next February. Marchione said last week that city officials believe the petition is not legally subject to initiative, based a court ruling earlier this month in Bellingham.
Eyman said he is "cautiously optimistic" that the county's chief presiding judge will sign an order showing the city's refusal to process the initiative petition. Eyman said the city would have to prove that there was harm in turning over the petitions.
"I think proving harm literally is an impossible task," Eyman said. "What's the harm in letting the initiative to proceed?"
Union Hill resident Scott Harlan, another co-sponsor of the initiative who led the signature campaign to put the issue on the ballot, said the city needs to follow state law."It is unconscionable for the city to have done what they have done," Harlan said.
"You cannot have a city sort of sit on these (signatures) and set a precedent down the road."
A hearing on the motion will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. at the King County Courthouse in Seattle. The hearing is set for the same day as a scheduled City Council study session, where council members will deliberate the future of the city's pilot traffic-enforcement program, which features three red-light cameras an one school-zone speed camera.
City officials contend that a public vote by be a moot point if council members vote to end the contract with camera vendor American Traffic Solutions (ATS) before the Dec. 1 deadline.
Elected officials were advised by City Attorney Jim Haney that they were not required to forward the petition based on a recent state Court of Appeals decision Bellingham, Marchione said last Wednesday afternoon. The three-judge panel Court of Appeals ruled Bellingham's initiative to ban the cameras can stay on the November ballot, but it will not be legally binding.
But in Bellingham, the court is still allowing the issue to be put before the voters, while Redmond is trying to block a public vote, Eyman said.
"Even in the case they are citing, the court is allowing the vote to happen," Eyman said. "They don't have a legal leg to stand on."
Eyman added that the Bellingham case is being appealed to the state Supreme Court.
Marchione said last week that the cost of the special election, estimated at $70,000-80,000, is another reason for not forwarding the petition to the county.
In Eyman's sworn declaration, he wrote "Mayor Marchione should not be allowed to blatantly violate state law in order to avoid the costly inconvenience of democracy."
The city has yet to be officially served with notice of a court hearing on the potential initiative petition, according to Redmond's deputy administrator Jane Christenson. The city did release the following statement:
"Following the City's legal review, we are advised the proposed Redmond initiative is virtually identical to the City of Bellingham initiative deemed invalid by a recent Court of Appeals ruling and not subject to the initiative process. Despite the court's ruling on the petition's validity, the Council and Mayor have heard the perspective of our residents who signed it, and will consider this along with all the data and other feedback we have received as part of our pilot traffic/school zone safety program review at a study session scheduled for October 11. The city's evaluation on whether or not to continue the pilot program will be completed by December, well before the proposed referendum can be held in February."
News of the lawsuit comes as the city continues its evaluation process of the pilot program, which began with a one-month warning period last February.
The Redmond Police Department will release the latest traffic violation data at today's (Sept. 27) City Council public safety committee meeting at City Hall at 4:30. Council members will discuss the matter at its Oct. 11 study session and vote on the issue as early as the Oct. 18 business meeting or as late as Nov. 29, which would require a special session by the council. The city has until Dec. 1 to submit its plans to extend the program or not to the camera vendor, American Traffic Solutions (ATS), according to the camera contract.
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/red/news/130669183.html
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The beginning of the end for this city council. Give them Hell at the polls!
MIDFIELD, Alabama -- The Midfield City Council on Monday night chose the company that will install and operate red light cameras in the city.
The council awarded the professional services contract to American Traffic Solutions of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Mayor Gary Richardson said that, for city roads, he hopes the company can immediately begin installing the cameras, which will snap photos of the vehicle tags of people who run red lights so the city can send them a traffic ticket.
For state roads, cameras can be installed within 30 days of receiving the necessary permits from the Alabama Department of Transportation, said David Jackson, senior business development director for ATS.
ATS will install the camera equipment for free, Jackson said. However, the company will receive a fee of $47.50 for each of the first 100 citations issued each month, and $20 per citation beyond that.
The Midfield City Council last month was prepared to award a contract to ATS but delayed action to get proposals from other companies and to make a cost analysis. Since that time, the council also reviewed a proposal from Redflex Traffic Systems, another Arizona company.
The Midfield council in June adopted the ordinance that allows the red light cameras to be installed at city intersections.
Motorists captured on camera as running red lights in Midfield will be able to appeal the tickets to a municipal court judge. Those who don't like the results in city court can then appeal to Jefferson County Circuit Court.
Red light camera supporters claim they help cut down on intersection accidents and promote safety. Opponents argue the cameras are nothing more than an effort by cities to generate more revenue.
Midfield is one of two cities in Jefferson County that have received state approval to install red light traffic cameras. Center Point is the other.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/09/midfield_city_council_approves.html
The council awarded the professional services contract to American Traffic Solutions of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Mayor Gary Richardson said that, for city roads, he hopes the company can immediately begin installing the cameras, which will snap photos of the vehicle tags of people who run red lights so the city can send them a traffic ticket.
For state roads, cameras can be installed within 30 days of receiving the necessary permits from the Alabama Department of Transportation, said David Jackson, senior business development director for ATS.
ATS will install the camera equipment for free, Jackson said. However, the company will receive a fee of $47.50 for each of the first 100 citations issued each month, and $20 per citation beyond that.
The Midfield City Council last month was prepared to award a contract to ATS but delayed action to get proposals from other companies and to make a cost analysis. Since that time, the council also reviewed a proposal from Redflex Traffic Systems, another Arizona company.
The Midfield council in June adopted the ordinance that allows the red light cameras to be installed at city intersections.
Motorists captured on camera as running red lights in Midfield will be able to appeal the tickets to a municipal court judge. Those who don't like the results in city court can then appeal to Jefferson County Circuit Court.
Red light camera supporters claim they help cut down on intersection accidents and promote safety. Opponents argue the cameras are nothing more than an effort by cities to generate more revenue.
Midfield is one of two cities in Jefferson County that have received state approval to install red light traffic cameras. Center Point is the other.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2011/09/midfield_city_council_approves.html
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