ATS’ Newsletter, Vol. 4, Issue 9

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Drivers Put Pedal to Metal after Speed Cameras Stop Flashing
KVOA-TV NBC 4 (Arizona), Jan. 28, 2014

For the past few years drivers have learned to slow down at Pima County’s 11 speed camera locations. But earlier this month, when the county decided to put an end to the program, drivers started to forget about the lessons they learned and started speeding up again.

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With Camera Enforcement Suspended, Red-Light Running Increases
KMBC-TV ABC 9 (Missouri), Jan. 27, 2014

A court ruling that led Kansas City to suspend enforcement of its red-light cameras may be leading drivers to run red lights more often. City leaders said that since the tickets stopped being issued late last year, red-light running is up by almost 50 percent.

 

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Violations Up as Red-Light Camera Program Is Put on Hold
St. Joseph News Press (Missouri), Jan. 30, 2014

While the usage of red-light cameras remains temporarily suspended in St. Joseph, the cameras remain on — and have captured a 39 percent increase in potential violations in December. See related News-PressNow video. (St. Joseph News Press photo by Eric Keith)

Ohio Cities Back Toledo in Road Camera Case
Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio), Jan. 28, 2014

After a string of rulings against traffic cameras, cities that use them are urging the Ohio Supreme Court to uphold the automated speeding and red-light enforcement. Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton and East Cleveland all are part of legal briefs filed in recent days supporting Toledo’s cameras.

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Red-Light Running Violations Rise while Camera Operations Suspended
The Kansas City Star (Missouri), Jan. 27, 2014

Kansas City may not be issuing red-light camera tickets while the program faces a legal challenge, but the cameras are still on and flashing whenever a motorist runs a red light. And the latest raw numbers from the red-light camera company, released Monday, show that is happening a lot more since the city stopped enforcing the robotic policing program in November. (The Kansas City Star photo by Keith Myers)

2 Years Later, Lawrence Cameras Show Fewer Citations, Crashes
The Times/NJ.com (New Jersey), Jan. 27, 2014

Fewer traffic citations are resulting from the red-light camera intersection in Lawrence at Route 1 and Franklin Corner Road, but township officials say that’s a sign the system is doing its job — forcing motorists to drive carefully.

Spokane’s Red-Light Cameras Make Streets Safer, Statistics Show
The Spokesman-Review (Washington), Jan. 26, 2014

The numbers are so convincing that even some of the harshest critics have changed their minds: Crashes have declined dramatically in the five years since red-light cameras were introduced in Spokane.

Police, Residents Support Red-Light Cameras for State College
StateCollege.com (Pennsylvania), Jan. 24, 2014

State College Police Chief Thomas King and the College Heights Neighborhood Association would like to see a state law amended to allow the use of enforcement cameras at red lights in the borough.

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Palm Coast Camera Statistics: 263 Violations Issued in 1 Week
Palm Coast Observer (Florida), Jan. 24, 2014

The following are the red light camera statistics for the week of Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, according to numbers provided by American Traffic Solutions. By the numbers: There were a total of 2,743 violation events this week. There were 263 citations issued this week. The camera at the intersection of State Road 100 (west) and Memorial Medical Parkway had the most violation events, with 385. This intersection only gave out two citations.

 

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School Bus Safety Camera Ordinance Passes 1st Reading in Georgetown
Community Impact Newspaper (Texas), Jan. 29, 2014

The Georgetown City Council approved the first reading of a vehicle and traffic ordinance at its Jan. 28 meeting. Council discussed photographic enforcement of vehicles passing school buses which are loading and unloading students. Police Chief Wayne Nero said, “We feel the number of those violations is significant. We think we can impact these numbers.”

Student Struck by Car at School Bus Stop
WXIN-TV FOX 59 (Indiana), Jan. 29, 2014

A teenager is recovering Wednesday morning after a car struck him at his Perry Township school bus stop. … The school bus had its door open and stop sign out when a car coming in the opposite direction failed to stop, striking the 16-year-old, Perry Township police said.

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Stop-Arm Cameras Quell Illicit School Bus Passing
Falls Church News-Press (Virginia), Jan. 28, 2014

In the three months since the City of Falls Church began recording stop-arm camera footage and ticketing motorists seen illegally passing stopped school buses, more than 60 citations have been issued. Falls Church City Public Schools Superintendent Toni Jones  is pleased with the numbers, owing the decrease in violations to “a strong media campaign” to alert drivers to the cameras.

Hit-and-Run Injures Preschooler Leaving Bus
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal (Texas), Jan. 28, 2014

The crash victim exited a school bus and was crossing the street when a white passenger vehicle with paper tags struck him shortly before 4 p.m. near the intersection of 28th Street and Juniper Avenue. A school spokeswoman said the car was traveling slowly, but did not stop.

Athens-Clarke County Schools Team Up with ATS
School Transportation News, Jan. 27, 2014

Clarke County School District has partnered with Athens-Clarke County and American Traffic Solutions to deploy school bus stop arm safety cameras to help school districts address the growing problem of vehicles illegally passing school buses that are stopped and have lights flashing. Georgia leads the nation in school bus fatalities, with nearly a dozen children killed in the past five years. In response to this alarming trend, last year, the Georgia legislature approved the use of cameras to help enforce school bus stop-arm laws.

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American Traffic Solutions is pleased to announce that Osceola County, Florida, has signed a three-year agreement for a road safety camera program. ATS welcomes this new client and looks forward to helping the county reduce dangerous red-light running events.

 

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NCSR @SaferRoadsUSA Watch today’s reckless red-light runner from Miami on #SafetyStreet  http://buff.ly/1estrPb

KMBC @kmbc Video: Study: Red-light running on the rise in KC http://onkmbc.com/Mn6pmS

 

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Extended Hours Allow More Time to Buy Pass for New Tunnel Toll
WVEC-TV ABC 13 (Virginia), Jan. 27, 2014

It’s the last week of toll-free rides through the Downtown and Midtown Tunnels and the MLK Extension in Portsmouth. Tolling begins February 1. If you haven’t signed up for an E-ZPass, you have more time to do it.

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“We still engage in enforcement activity on the street, but the problem with the intersections is finding a safe and effective way to make your case. Officers have to see the light themselves, plus, they have to stop the violator on the other side of an active intersection. From a safety standpoint, it’s a lot better to do it with the cameras.”
Richard Ketchem, St. Joseph Police Sergeant
St. Joseph News-Press (Missouri), Jan. 30, 2014

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“The general observation is, because people know (the cameras) are not active, that they are being less cautious than they would have been with the threat of a ticket.”
Jim Pruetting, Kansas City Police Major, who supervises the traffic division
The Kansas City Star (Missouri), Jan. 27, 2014

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“If revenue’s decreasing, that means the camera’s working. In my viewpoint, that means it’s a success. At the beginning of these programs, you’re going to see a spike because it’s the first time you’re catching those offenders. If it works, revenues should go down. People are getting the message.”
Cathleen Lewis, Mayor of the Township of Lawrence
The Times/NJ.com (New Jersey), Jan. 27, 2014

“There are a lot of data out there indicating that the red-light cameras do change people’s behavior. We are not looking so much for enforcement, it’s for prevention of people running through red lights. When people see the sign saying there is a red-light camera they tend not to run a red light. It changes people’s behaviors and we want to change people’s behaviors.”
Donna Queeney, College Heights Neighborhood Association president
State College.com (Pennsylvania), Jan. 24, 2014

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Commentary: Drivers — Don’t Blame Cameras for Your Poor Decisions
The Virginian-Pilot (Virginia), Jan. 28, 2014

Well, fancy that: A local judge believes drivers who turn right on red, without stopping, break the law. The court case was the latest of several challenges to the cameras in the Beach. None has been successful. Attempts to shut down the state program also have failed in the General Assembly. Good!

Commentary: Turn Kansas City’s Red-Light Cameras Back On
The Kansas City Star (Missouri), Jan. 27, 2014

Last month, the number of red-light runners at intersections with red-light safety cameras suddenly jumped by almost 50 percent over December of 2012. Why?  Because motorists know the cameras are not being used to hand out tickets right now. The Missouri Supreme Court needs to uphold the city’s ordinance so the safety cameras once more can be put to good use.

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Editorial: Red-Light Cameras, Driving Habits Intersect
The Spokesman-Review (Washington), Jan. 28, 2014

When red-light cameras were first introduced to Spokane, resistance was strong. … Fortunately, the Spokane City Council had the foresight to establish a longer timeline for evaluation, because the figures at the five-year mark show the cameras are improving driving habits. Council members Mike Allen and Mike Fagan, who were once opponents, voted to renew the contract for American Traffic Solutions, an Arizona-based company that runs the red-light program. Fagan’s change of heart is particularly interesting, because his ballot initiative partner, Tim Eyman, has run campaigns to remove the cameras in other cities.

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Letter to the Editor: Step Up and Take Responsibility
Sun Sentinel (Florida), Jan. 30, 2014

Again, we are arguing about red-light cameras. This time, the cry is to reduce the fine. Everyone is ignoring the fact that the person running the red light has just broken the law. In a civilized society we have rules. One is to stop for a red light whether or not a police officer is present. When a person chooses to ignore this rule and gets caught by an electronic device, he gets all irate and blames it on everything except himself. Man-up, take responsibility, you violated the rule — now step up and pay the fine.

Letter to the Editor: Complaints Come from Red-Light Runners
Sun Sentinel (Florida), Jan. 30, 2014

I can’t believe that some cities want to get rid of their red-light cameras — and that some state lawmakers agree. Some of these city leaders say they hear complaints from motorists who receive these citations. When are they going to realize that the ones who are complaining are those who are actually running the red lights and getting these tickets? Wake up, politicians. These cameras save lives. Don’t listen to the lawbreakers.

Letter to the Editor: Nothing Wrong with Red-Light Camera Law
Sun Sentinel (Florida), Jan. 27, 2014

To perpetuate the ongoing issue in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties on enforcing traffic camera citations is counterproductive and should cease. To see legislators still debating the logic of the procedure and questioning the issuance of citations — long after the cameras have been tested, installed and are in operation — is clearly a sign of confusion and waste. Let the legislators make the laws and leave the responsibility for enforcing the rules up to the police

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New Jersey
Since red-light safety cameras became operational at the intersection of Dutch Neck Road and Route 130 in East Mercer County in November 2011, automobile crashes have gradually decreased from 83 in 2011 to 61 in 2013. SOURCE: The Times/NJ.com, Jan. 27, 2014.

Washington
Total crashes have declined at three Spokane intersections where cameras were installed in 2008:

  • Browne Street and Sprague Avenue had an average of 20 crashes a year in the four years previous to 2008. In the four years after, there was an average of 11.
  • At Francis Avenue and Division Street, there was an average of 21 crashes a year in the four years before red-light cameras; in the four years after, there was an average of 14.
  • At Mission Avenue and Hamilton Street, there was an average of 19 crashes a year before cameras and an average of 17 after they were installed.

At the same intersections, crashes caused by “following too closely” – the likely cause of rear-end crashes from drivers slamming on brakes to avoid running a light – have declined at two of the three intersections. They were steady at the other intersection. SOURCE: The Spokesman-Review, Jan. 26, 2014.