Red Light Cameras coming to an Intersection Near You

[Jaxson]

I agree with the previous poster about a potential increase in rear end collisions.  I bet that there will be a lot more people slamming on their brakes when the light turns yellow.  In this economy, people don't want to risk paying such a steep fine.

[jandar]

Well, not a ticket, just a fine. They cannot issue points on your license. A police officer/state trooper/etc has to be there to issue points.

Bad thing, if you let someone drive your car and they run a red light, you will get the fine in the mail.

Now, the legal issues with this:
Not all lights are timed the same, and in many cities, the city has reworked the lights to shorten the yellow cycle.
http://blog.motorists.org/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/

http://autos.aol.com/article/short-yellow-lights-revenue/

In one case the length of a yellow light in El Paso was shortened by just a four-tenths of a second and citations jumped by 132%. In another case, a yellow light at a 45-mph intersection in Houston that lasted 3.6 seconds rang up 341% more tickets than the yellow lights at other, similar 45-mph intersections.

Some roads are governed by US rules, others by FDOT rules. Some lights have to be a minimum of 3.0 seconds for yellow, and 4.0 on some Florida roads.


Found the FDOT manual with regards to yellow light cycles:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations/Operations/PDFs/Traffic_Engineering_Manual_February_2010.pdf
Chapter 3, Section 6, Page 2 (or page 145 in PDF)
They take the ITE and round it up to the next 0.5 seconds (so 3.2 becomes 3.5)
30Mph or less = 3.5
35 = 4.0
40 = 4.0
45 = 4.3
50 = 4.7
55 = 5.0
60 = 5.4
65 = 5.8

Time the lights yourself, I bet many are off to begin with.

[gatorback]

Better yet. Stop when they are red.

[CS Foltz]

Just one more avenue for revenue plain and simple!

[tufsu1]

Just one more avenue for revenue plain and simple!

or possibly safety?

[gatorback]

No. It's for the income. But, you can let other people foot the bill if you just STOP at Red lights.

[jbroadglide]

Gotta go along with gatorback on this. I don't have a problem with these cameras. Whether it increases safety or adds additional revenue..don't run a red light and you won't have a problem. Pretty simple.

[reednavy]

Yes it is mostly for income, but if people know that it is a camera monitored intersection, they're much less likely to run the signal.

[Jaxson]

I am going to avoid driving through those intersections.  Even if I stop when I think that I am supposed to, I am not too sure that the guy/gal behind me will or will not plow into me...

[KenFSU]

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-04-05/story/red-light-cameras-are-go-25-places-around-jacksonville

After years of legislative and judicial dawdling over them, red light cameras are poised to come to Jacksonville this year.

The city is in negotiations with Redflex Traffic Systems of Arizona to install and operate cameras on at least 25 approaches to intersections identified by police as dangerous.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Lauri-Ellen Smith refused to comment on details such as exact cost or proposed camera locations until the negotiations are completed.

Smith did say that although citation payments will be made directly to Redflex, infractions will be controlled by the Sheriff's Office.

"Every ticket will be reviewed by a police officer," she said.

They can view three photos that include a close-up of the car's license plate and high-quality video.

Although there are no final numbers yet, the proposal Redflex submitted last year â€" chosen over three others â€" cited a monthly cost to the city of $3,999 per camera.

That fee would cover installation, operation, maintenance and administrative costs. Any citation money over the $3,999 would be split roughly in half between the city and the state.

Additionally, Redflex's proposal promises that if in any month the cameras fail to generate at least $3,999, the city would pay only the actual revenue received.

A number of California cities have dropped red-light cameras this year, many with Redflex, citing less-than-promised revenues. In Green Cove Springs, though, the only red-light cameras in Northeast Florida â€" with a different company â€" generated more than $350,000 for the city in their first nine months last year.

State law sets the minimum penalty at $158. Motorists can sign an affidavit claiming one of a few exemptions, such as if the vehicle was stolen or part of a funeral procession, or they may request a hearing before a local judge. There are no driver's license points.

The Redflex proposal also calls for a 30-day grace period after the cameras are installed. Drivers who run a red light and are caught on camera during that time will be sent a "courtesy notice" with no fine, instead of an actual notice of infraction, for the purpose of raising awareness.

The controversial cameras have been the subject of legal challenges in other Florida counties and around the country.

For years in Florida, the cameras operated in a legal gray area. State law neither allowed nor prohibited their installation by municipalities until July 2010, when a law allowed installation on state-owned rights of way. Motorists' rights groups, including AAA, vigorously opposed the bill.

Jacksonville approved the cameras in December 2007, when the City Council unanimously voted to allow them. The same ordinance also authorizes the use of speed-enforcement cameras, but both were on hold pending state law.

Only eight members who voted in favor of the ordinance remain in the current council, but support remains strong.

"We can't have a policeman at every corner," said Councilman Matt Schellenberg, elected in 2011. "This is part of a complete set of tools that police can and should implement."

"It's not going to completely eliminate it, but people might think twice before going through a red light if they might get caught."

The cameras have caused legal headaches in some of the jurisdictions that have installed them.

In February, a Pasco County judge ruled the cameras there unconstitutional, saying Florida's law unjustly shifts the burden of proof onto defendants and by doing so, fails to meet due process requirements. On the other hand, in July 2011, a Broward County judge found the cameras constitutional.

Regardless, Smith said Sheriff John Rutherford hopes to have the system in place and running by September.

Currently, only Green Cove Springs has cameras operating in Northeast Florida.

Get ready for rear end collisions at red lights to skyrocket.

In cash strapped times, there's nothing like seeing your tax dollars used against you.

[Doctor_K]

I'm assuming the city gets a kick back, since the citation is made directly to the vendor and not the city?

Weird.

[fsujax]

The City of LA decided to get rid of theirs and we add them.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/03/los-angeles-red-light-camera-program-to-end-.html

[cline]

The article states that the money received from citations would go to cover the cost of the monthly operation of the camera ($3,999).  Anything over that would be split between the city and state.

[KenFSU]

The City of LA decided to get rid of theirs and we add them.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/03/los-angeles-red-light-camera-program-to-end-.html

Minneapolis did the same thing, and actually refunded nearly $3 million to motorists for red light tickets.

[cline]

Well at least we can be like the bustling metropolis of Phenix City, Alabama.  Strive for greatness.

http://www2.wrbl.com/news/2012/apr/02/red-light-cameras-could-be-coming-phenix-city-ar-3530446/