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Greenville Searching for Answers to Curb Red-Light Issues
WCTI-TV ABC 12 (North Carolina), Feb. 3, 2016

Greenville police and the city council are working to solve a significant problem of people running red lights and intersection collisions. Along with targeting enforcement at dangerous intersections, authorities are asking the public to notify police on their Facebook page about problem intersections. In addition, the city council has asked Police Chief Mark Holtzman for a study on how other cities are handling the increase in intersection collisions and for a local solution. Holtzman says there will be a discussion on having a red-light enforcement program. See related coverage from WITN-TV NBC 7 (WITN-TV NBC 7 image)

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Coronado Pushing for Green Light on Speed Camera
KFMB-TV CBS 8 (California), Feb. 3, 2016

Coronado residents want a speed camera that would monitor drivers’ speeds along Third and Fourth Street in Coronado and automatically issue tickets to violators, similar to a red-light camera. However, speed cameras happen to be prohibited in California, meaning that legislation at the state level would first have to be passed in order to make speed cameras a reality on the roadway. (KFMB-TV CBS 8 image)

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Austin Nears Penalty Phase of School Bus Safety Camera Program
KTBC-TV FOX 7 (Texas), Feb. 2, 2016

The warning is out: Austin’s school bus safety cameras will be used to issue enforcement fines starting next week in order to stop the dangerous habit of passing stopped school buses in our city. Special cameras are now on school buses, but are used to issue warnings to stop-arm violators. The switch to enforcement fines takes effect Feb. 8. See related article on KTBC-TV FOX 7.  (KTBC-TV FOX 7 image)

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Report: 24,000 Cars Pass N.Y. School Buses in 1 Day
WHEC-TV NBC 10 (New York), Feb. 2, 2016

A one-day study in January found almost 24,000 cars and trucks in New York passed stopped school buses with red lights flashing. The New York Association for Pupil Transportation, which conducted the study, wants N.Y. state lawmakers to pass a bill allowing school buses to use cameras mounted on the bus to capture images of the license plate of the vehicles that illegally pass school buses. The cameras are intended to help enforce traffic laws. (WHEC-TV NBC 10 image)

 

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Fulton School System to Install Stop-Arm Safety Cameras on Buses
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Feb. 4, 2016

Fulton County education officials have announced they will begin using school bus stop-arm safety cameras in an effort to cut down on drivers who illegally pass stopped school buses. The school system is partnering with American Traffic Solutions to help address the growing problem of vehicles wrongfully passing school buses with their stop-arm deployed, according to a news release from Fulton schools. See related news release here.

Jury Sends Message Against Distracted Driving
Union Springs Herald (Alabama), Feb. 3, 2016

After nine days of trial and deliberations, a Montgomery County jury has returned a verdict of more than $1.2 million in a case involving a school bus and a distracted driver using a cell phone. The driver failed to see the Montgomery County school bus that was fully stopped and had its flashing lights activated for at least 9 seconds as children left the bus. At the last moment, the driver swerved away from the bus but clipped its rear. A second motorist collided with the back of the school bus. He was in a coma for 31 days and will live with permanent injury.

Pickup Crashes into Stopped School Bus
Tribune-Star (Indiana), Feb. 2, 2016

An early morning crash involving a school bus sent several children to the hospital, although all escaped major injuries. According to the Tipton County Sheriff’s Department, a school bus stopped on Indiana 28 near the intersection of 300 West to pick up two children at about 7:30 a.m. when an oncoming vehicle smashed into the back end of the bus at a high-rate of speed.

 

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Bus Lane Scofflaws Face Stricter Enforcement in New York City
My Daily News (New York), Jan. 30, 2016

Traffic enforcement cameras will start snapping away at drivers cruising in the bus-only lanes on 125th Street. Motorists caught on cameras driving or standing in bus lanes along the M60 route will face a $115 ticket. The city Transportation Department had been issuing warnings to drivers during  a 60-day grace period. Enforcement began Feb. 1. See related coverage from NY1(Time Warner Cable News NY1 image)

 

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NCSR @SaferRoadsUSA @AlertTodayFL partnering to help reduce the risk and save lives!!  (Alert Today Alive Tomorrow image)

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ATS_RoadSafety @ATS_RoadSafety Police: Driver runs red light, collides with school bus holding 8 kids in Santa ocregister.com/articles/schoo… #StopOnRed

 

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Enforcement Plans and Tests Start for Tolls on Tappan Zee Bridge
Times Herald-Record (New York), Feb. 1, 2016

The Cuomo administration has lost no time in adopting the regulations its proposed in November to punish toll cheats — and to stay ahead of the conversion to all-electronic tolling (AET) at the Tappan Zee Bridge. The regulations, which became effective Jan. 20, are likely to be launched in April, around the time the New York State Thruway Authority switches to AET at the bridge. They authorize the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend the registrations of people who fail to pay five tolls on bridges, tunnels and highways within an 18-month period. (Times Herald-Record image)

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E-ZPass Use Up to Nearly 70% on Hudson River Bridges
Daily Freeman (New York), Feb. 1, 2016

The number of drivers using E-ZPass on the five Hudson River bridges operated by the New York State Bridge Authority has climbed steadily over the last 15 years. In 2001, E-ZPass usage on the spans was 45.4 percent. Now it’s 69.8 percent. (Daily Freeman file image by Tony Adamis)

Maine Turnpike Use, Revenues Zoom to Best Year Ever
Portland Press Herald, Feb. 1, 2016

More cars and trucks whizzed through tollbooths on the Maine Turnpike in 2015 than in any year in its 69-year history, a strong indication that the state’s economy is returning to pre-recession strength and accelerating plans to widen the highway through the Portland area. Meanwhile,  the turnpike authority intends to continue working on the design of its new York toll plaza, which will allow motorists to pay cash at booths or pay electronically with an E-ZPass. Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2017.  (Portland Press Herald staff graphic by Michael Fisher)

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Commentary: Drivers, Do as You Say
Santa Clarita Valley News (California), Feb. 2, 2016

It’s no secret that dangerous driving habits cause the majority of accidents on our local roadways. During the first six months of last year, Santa Clarita saw more than 750 collisions. This is an increase over the previous two years for the same period. As a community we can do better.

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Letter to the Editor: Red-Light Cameras Make Sense
The Fayetteville Observer (North Carolina), Feb. 3, 2016

A January column described red-light cameras as controversial. This surprises me. People who run red lights always have a warning, it’s called the yellow light. So people make a choice to run red lights. For the person who said cameras are purely a revenue-generating practice, he should consider that they wouldn’t generate a dime if people were more concerned with obeying the law and being good drivers.

Letter: Slow Down or Pay Speeding Ticket
Paris Post-Intelligencer (Tennessee), Feb. 2, 2016

In reference to the article written about Henry’s speed camera and the man whose son was given a speeding ticket, I would like to respond. The fine city of Henry is not crooked, nor are the aldermen. Are you all aware that the State of Tennessee posted the 55 mph limit, not Henry? The city is to “enforce” the law. Fact is, you speed, you pay a fine. It’s not too terribly hard to understand.

Letter:  Protect Our Children around School Buses
Miami Herald (Florida), Jan. 31, 2016

For six years, I have been fighting to protect our students and prevent others from being run over by careless motorists, as my daughter was in 2010. Every day since Gabby’s death, I have fought to get stricter penalties to improve safety for students. I thought it all would happen this year when House Bill 373 was filed in the Florida Legislature. … But the bill will not be heard.

Letter: Real Cost of Red-Light Cameras
Southern Maryland News, Jan. 30, 2016

At one time, the argument against red-light cameras was that they would be “cash cows” for the government. Now, Commissioner John O’Connor argues that these cameras won’t raise enough money because drivers will actually honor those red lights and stop. Well how can you be against that? That is the whole point. It’s not about raising money, it’s about saving lives.

 

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“Enforcement. We would love to do it through compliance, but for some people it takes a traffic ticket to get their attention. So we’re willing to give those tickets out if we need to.”
Mark Holtzman, Greenville Police Chief
WCTI-TV ABC 12 (North Carolina), Feb. 3, 2016

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“We have an opportunity to use technology to reclaim a neighborhood by slowing traffic down. We are going to do that if we can.”
Bill Sandke, Coronado Councilman
KFMB-TV CBS 8 (California), Feb. 3, 2016