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N.Y. Mayor Unveils Details in Plan to Reduce Traffic Fatalities
WCBS-TV CBS 2 (New York), Feb. 18, 2014

On the same block where a 9-year-old-boy was killed by a cab last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio unveiled more details to his plan to eliminate deadly traffic accidents in New York City, especially those involving pedestrians. See related coverage in Crain’s New York Business and New York Post.

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Chicago Transit Authority Cracks Down on Red-Light Runners
WMAQ-TV NBC 5 (Illinois), Feb. 18, 2014

In 2009, the Chicago Transit Authority changed the rules regarding bus drivers’ punishment for the tickets they received while driving. In that time, red-light camera violations have dropped significantly, plunging from 779 violations in 2010, to 321 in 2011 and again to 222 in 2012. The reason behind these changes? Harsher punishments for CTA bus drivers who run red lights.
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Mayor Says State Should Keep Hands Off Cameras
Bradenton Herald (Florida), Feb. 20, 2014

After discussing what the Florida Legislature might do to red-light cameras at a Brandenton City Council workshop meeting, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston said red-light cameras are a public safety issue, and they work. “It’s not a money maker. Half the money goes to the state. I wish the Legislature would take their hands off it.”

Cities Home-Rule Authority May Trump Camera Ban Bill
Northeast Ohio Media Group, Feb. 20, 2014

A proposed ban on traffic cameras making its way through the legislature will likely be slapped down by the courts if it passes, according to a legal analysis of the bill. That’s because the legislation, as currently written, appears to infringe on local governments’ home-rule authority, according to a study done by the Legislative Service Commission, the Ohio General Assembly’s nonpartisan research arm.

 

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Wyoming House Passes Bill for School-Bus Safety Cameras
Caspar Star-Tribune (Wyoming), Feb. 18, 2014

The Wyoming House passed a bill Monday that would require outside cameras be installed on all public school buses. House Bill 5 now heads to the Senate. The Joint Education Interim Committee sponsored the bill to help law enforcement catch drivers who “fly by,” or pass, stopped buses. In 2011, 11-year-old Makayla Marie Strahle was struck and killed by a driver who ignored a stop sign in Crowheart.

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American Traffic Solutions is pleased to announce that the city of Lufkin, Texas, has renewed its road safety camera agreement for an additional five years.  ATS is honored to participate in the traffic safety efforts in Lufkin.

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ATS_RoadSafety @ATS_RoadSafety Reasons to Support the Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act Fact 6! pinterest.com/pin/4374121825…

ATS_RoadSafety @ATS_RoadSafety Fred Grimm: don’t like #redlightcameras? Here’s a thought: Don’t run red lights http://tmblr.co/ZC9-Wt1703HNw @MiamiHerald

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Fines Exceed Toll Loss on Golden Gate Bridge Post All-Electronic Tolling
TollRoads News, Feb. 18, 2014

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Matier and Ross say the initial impact of all electronic tolling (AET) conversion on Golden Gate Bridge revenues isn’t bad.

Donlen Launches Fully Integrated Toll Management Program
PR.com, Feb. 13, 2014

Donlen, the fleet industry’s most comprehensive provider of integrated financing and asset management solutions, today announced a partnership with American Traffic Solutions Fleet Services to provide a fully integrated toll management program for their customers.

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Commentary: Numbers Show the Truth, Red-Light Cameras Save Lives
Sun Sentinel (Florida), Feb. 17, 2014

There are many findings in the latest report on red-light camera programs in Florida, but the most important is the 49 percent decrease in fatal red-light running crashes at intersections with safety cameras. Saving lives is the fundamental purpose for red-light cameras, and our monumental achievement. At American Traffic Solutions, we are proud and honored to serve our communities in this way.

Commentary: Most Arguments Against Cameras are Red Herrings
Press-Citizen (Iowa), Feb. 17, 2014

The state perhaps should legislate dollar limits on fines and promote good practices for public safety, but use of cameras and other traffic safety decisions should to be left primarily to cities, towns and counties. Most arguments against traffic cameras appear to be red herrings from folks irritated about getting caught. They’re doing it to the detriment of public safety.

Commentary: Don’t Like Cameras? Don’t Run Red Lights
Miami Herald (Florida), Feb. 17, 2014

Red-light cameras save lives and reduce serious injuries. … Traffic safety, however, doesn’t much matter to Rep. Frank Artiles of Miami and Sen. Jeff Brandes of St. Petersburg, who have filed bills to stop new red-light camera installations and eliminate local government’s share of the fines. … This approach punishes city and county taxpayers. Fines would be reduced to $83 from $158 by wiping out local government’s $75 cut.

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Editorial: Stiffer Penalties Needed for School Bus Scofflaws
The Post-Journal (New York), Feb. 18, 2014

There have been 53 complaints of drivers passing school buses with their red lights flashing in roughly a 30-day period, according to Bob Gilkinson, Cassadaga Valley Central School transportation supervisor. All but eight of those complaints have been on Route 60, some at speeds of up to 60 miles an hour.

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Letter to the Editor: Speed Enforcement by Video Needed
Erie Times and News (Pennsylvania), Feb. 18, 2014

On a recent morning, a traffic light turned green, allowing me to exit the Interstate 79 ramp and merge onto 12th Street, but a truck with a plow on the front went speeding through the red light. If I hadn’t hesitated when my light turned green, I would be dead.

Letter to the Editor: Political Puffing
The Tampa Tribune (Florida), Feb. 17, 2014

A recent article about red-light cameras talked about how a state politician is trying to get rid of the cameras because, supposedly, they are only being used to garner revenue for governments. Whether they are or not is irrelevant when you consider that the main goal is to save lives and prevent accidents. The only way to get most people’s attention is to hit them in the pocket.

Letter to the Editor: Red-Light Cameras Save Lives
Miami Herald (Florida), Feb. 17, 2014

We have all heard the cliche, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” But that is exactly the intent of Florida Rep. Frank Artiles and Sen. Jeff Brandes. A study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, requested by Brandes, found that red-light cameras reduced accidents at intersections equipped with them, by 19 percent, and fatalities by 49 percent. Forty-nine percent fewer deaths at intersections sound outstanding to me, even throwing in a 10-percent margin of error.

Letter to the Editor: Simple Red, Yellow, Green Light Rules
Sun-Sentinel (Florida), Feb. 16, 2014

It’s really quite simple. A red light means stop. Yellow means be prepared to stop. Green means go. If you don’t understand these three items, a camera will document your misunderstanding and you will be fined. What is so difficult for drivers to understand.

Letter to the Editor: Removing Red-Light Cameras Senseless
Florida Today, Feb. 14, 2014

We have a rhetorical question for Cocoa Beach Mayor Dave Netterstrom and City Commissioners Skip Williams and Tim Tumulty, who recently voted to remove the city’s red-light cameras: Have you lost your mind.

 

Header QuoteOfTheWeek 480

Jeff Johnson
“In other words, the program has been a big success. The reduced citations and less revenue equals less people running red lights and speeding in the neighborhoods where the cameras are located.”
Jeff Johnson, Cleveland City Councilman
Northeast Ohio Media Group, Feb. 19, 2014

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“We refuse to accept the loss of children, parents and neighbors as inevitable. We are focusing the full weight of city government to prevent fatalities on our streets. This will add up to much more than changing intersections or issuing violations. It’s about each of us taking greater responsibility every time we get behind the wheel or step out on the street.”

Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City
Crain’s New York Business (New York), Feb. 18, 2014

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“That camera at that intersection has reduced crashes significantly. To those people who say it’s not about safety, I don’t know how they can refute the statistics like that.”
Frank Donchez, Police Chief of Davenport, Iowa
WHBF-TV CBS 4 (Iowa), Feb. 18, 2014

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Red-light cameras have reduced pedestrian injuries by 31 percent. Source: The New York Post, Feb. 19, 2014.