ATS’ Newsletter, Issue 43


Edmonton police are targeting speeding motorists on Stony Plain Road to determine the best method of enforcement — including red light safety cameras — to use to slow down drivers. “Fatality” signs are installed by the city near locations of fatal collisions for six months to raise awareness of the dangers of driving. The shared program between the police and transportation department began in the late 1990s. Requests from neighborhoods and affected families to not place a sign are honored. Read the article. (West Edmonton Local photo by Shaamini Yogaretnam)


Miami Springs Makes Roads, Sidewalks Safer
River Cities Gazette (Florida), Sept. 29, 2011

Since a deadly car-pedestrian collision in 2009 , the city has taken steps to slow cars down and make area roads safer. Red-light safety cameras are expected to be activated early next year. (River Cities Gazette photo by Theo Karantsalis)


Red-Light Safety Camera Myths Debunked in Brick
Brick Patch (New Jersey), Sept. 28, 2011

Does a driver run a red light every time a camera flashes? No. Cameras also flash when they recalibrate themselves. This myth and others were addressed by the Brick Township Council earlier this week. (Daily Record photo by Thomas P. Costello)


Safest and Worst Cities for Drivers Named in Allstate Report
AutoMedia.com, Sept. 27, 2011

In its seventh annual America’s Safest Drivers Reports, the Allstate insurance company has ranked the 200 largest American cities according to collision frequency. Fort Collins, Colorado, is the safest place to drive. (AutoMedia.com photo) See Allstate news release.

City Leaders Approve Road Safety Camera Contract
The Birmingham News (Alabama), Sept. 26, 2011

The Midfield City Council on Monday night awarded the professional services contract to American Traffic Solutions to install and operate red light cameras in the city. The mayor said he would like installation to begin soon.

Good News for Lynnwood Cameras after Some New Math
Herald Net (Washington), Sept. 24, 2011

Lynnwood’s road safety camera program got some positive press this week, and that may be justified — once the picture is adjusted for reality.

Palm Beach County Camera Fines Now in Effect
The Palm Beach Post News (Florida), Sept. 23, 2011

Red-light runners now face fines instead of warnings on Palm Beach County roads that have new red-light cameras.


Red-Light Runners Strike 2 Students in Crosswalk
FOX23 (Oklahoma), Sept. 28, 2011

In three days time, two Tulsa School students are hit while crossing in a crosswalk.  Both are OK, but could have been seriously hurt or even killed.


School Chiefs Act on New Law Allowing Bus Cameras
Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Washington), Sept. 28, 2011

If the flashing lights and swinging stop sign on a school bus aren’t enough to make you brake for kids, maybe an automated $394 camera ticket will do it. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer photo by Niki Desautels)


Crossing Guard’s Grieving Family Calls for Stricter Laws
KCCI Channel 8 (Iowa), Sept. 26, 2011

When the family of a 78-year-old crossing guard who died after a collision with a red-light runner learned that the driver would be penalized with a traffic ticket only, they immediately raised a cry to change the law so red-light runners involved in deadly crashes face greater penalities. (Ankeny Patch photo by Megan VerHelst)

Fort Worth Committed to Installing More Cameras
WFAA Channel 8 (Texas), Sept. 27, 2011

There has been a backlash against red-light cameras in Houston, Baytown and College Station, with some calling for the cameras to be removed. Fort Worth, however, is going the other direction — adding 10 new cameras in the coming weeks.

American Traffic Solutions entered a five-year agreement this week with the township of Little Falls, N.J., to install, operate and maintain a road safety camera program. Also this week, San Bernardino, Calif., renewed its program with a three year extension to continue with ATS.

ProjectIgnition RT @ATS_RoadSafety On average, a pedestrian is injured in a traffic crash every 8 minutes: youtu.be/OmEEhXOqoiE  #StopOnRed

Letter to the Editor: Stopping for School Buses
Daily Republic (California), Sept. 27, 2011

On Thursday I was traveling east on Hilborn Road in Fairfield. I had my 3-year-old twin granddaughters with me. There was a school bus stopped, with its lights flashing, …

Letter to the Editor: It’s Time for Harlan and Eyman to Go Home
Redmond Neighborhood Blog (Washington), Sept. 26, 2011

Mr. Harlan and Mr. Eyman should take their complaint and go home.  They filed their petition with the city seeking a vote on an initiative that had already been ruled invalid by the Sept. 6 Appeals Court ruling. Instead, they want our city to spend its precious funds on a special election.

Editorial: The Case for Red-Light Safety Cameras
Virginian-Pilot, Sept. 28, 2011

Drivers in Chesapeake may not appreciate the prospect of being caught on camera running a red light, but figures from the city’s police department show officials were right to install the technology.

“Mysteriously, the argument comes that we shorten the yellow light (at intersections outfitted with cameras.) We do not do that.”
Dan Toth, Brick Township councilman
Brick Patch (New Jersey), Sept. 28, 2011
 
“It wasn’t that it was the screeching halters. More people are running over the three seconds as opposed to below it. Three seconds in the signal timing world is quite a lot. It’s more of a willful act.”
Ravi Sheth, Chesapeake police officer specialist in charge of red-light safety camera program
The Virginian Pilot, Sept. 27, 2011
 
“Every single violation is an opportunity for a very severe crash.”
Gary Walton, Chesapeake city traffic engineer
The Virginian-Pilot, Sept. 27, 2011

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