ATS’ Newsletter, Vol. 7, Issue 13


N.Y. Assembly Passes Bill to Expand School Zone Speed Cameras
News Release, June 21, 2017

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Deborah Glick today announced the passage of a measure to expand the school zone speed camera program in the City of New York. … The bill would increase the current cap on the number of authorized speed camera zones in the City of New York from 140 to 290 and authorize the phase-in of any of the additional cameras at the rate of 50 per year over three years. (Times Beacon Record image by Elana Glowatz)


Pols, Advocates Push for More Speed Cameras
Queens Chronicle (New York), June 15, 2017

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg earlier this month joined the call to more than double the number of speed cameras in school zones. “There is a piece of legislation that simply says since speed cameras around schools have been working and saving lives — saving children’s lives — we should have them around more schools,” de Blasio said at a rally in front of City Hall. “Isn’t that the simplest thing you’ve heard in a long time?” See additional coverage at NYC.gov and related research study here. (NYC.gov image)

 


Apopka Approves Red-Light Cameras for 5 Additional Years
WFTV-TV ABC 9 (Florida), June 22, 2017

By a vote of 3-2, the Apopka City Council voted Wednesday to extend its contract for red-light cameras for another five years. The vote was taken during a council meeting Wednesday after dozens of drivers showed up to speak against keeping red-light cameras in the city. (WFTV-TV ABC 9 image)

Crash with Injury to Child Blamed on Red-Light Runner
WTVD-TV ABC 11 (North Carolina), June 14, 2017

Police suspect a red-light runner is to blame for a June 13 crash that sent a 3-year-old to the hospital with critical injuries. Fayetteville police have not said which driver is responsible for running the light, but are urging all drivers to take precaution when approaching intersections.

 

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New Port Richey Adds 2 Years to Red-Light Camera Program
Tampa Bay Times (Florida), June 21, 2017

A year after the City Council teetered on pulling the plug on the program and extended it for just one year on a split vote, there was less debate this week as council members voted 4-1 in favor of a two-year extension. The vote came after a plea by New Port Richey Police Chief Kim Bogart to keep the cameras. (The Tampa Tribune image by Jay Conner)


Traffic Management Market Expected to Grow
PRNewswire, June 16, 2017 

Research and Markets, the world’s largest market research store, expects the traffic management market to grow from $22 billion in 2017 to more than $59 billion by 2022, at a compound annual growth rate of 21 percent. High demographic growth and hyperurbanization in developing countries and government initiatives for traffic management are some of the driving forces for this market. (The Columbus Dispatch image by Barbara J. Perenic)


Red-Light Cameras May be Back
The Glendale Star (Arizona), June 15, 2017

Glendale drivers, take note: The city is researching the installation of red-light cameras in the future. The city council heard an update fro Police Chief Rick St. John at the June 6 workshop about photo enforcement, then gave the chief the go-ahead to pursue a red-light running study at select intersections.

 


Bills Increase Penalties for Illegally Passing School Buses
Watertown Daily News (New York), June 16, 2017

State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie wants to crack down on those who illegally pass stopped school buses, after a survey turned up hundreds of such cases in just a few days. The results showed 577 passing violations in three counties between March 13 and 17. Ritchie released the results after a series of school bus-related bills she sponsored passed the Senate. (WHEC-TV image)

Dirt Bike Runs Over Child Leaving School Bus, Flees Scene
The News Journal/Delaware Online, June 16, 2017

Wilmington Police are asking the public to help identify a dirt bike operator who ran over a child getting off a school bus last month. The child was injured in the collision on May 24. The collision occurred as the dirt bike rider passed the stopped school bus and struck the child who had just exited, police said. The motorcyclist then fled the scene.

Drivers Pass Stopped School Buses, Put Children at Risk
Cision News Wire, June 12, 2017

Children entering and leaving their school buses remain at risk from vehicles that illegally pass stopped buses in the Longwood Central School District, according to results from a school bus stop arm safety camera pilot program. Two buses in the district operated with school bus stop-arm safety cameras from Feb. 27 to May 5 and identified 59 vehicles committing stop-arm violations in 45 class days. “These numbers are troubling,” Gale Winsper, Transportation Coordinator for the district, said.

 

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ATS_RoadSafety @ATS_RoadSafety WATCH: Video shows “inattentive” driver slamming into semi wqad.com/2017/06/190/wat  #DistractedDriving #ItCanWait

 


ATS_RoadSafety Retweeted Vision Zero Network @Visionzeronet Celebrating Sweden’s 20 years’ commitment #VisionZero: Reducing traffic deaths by half & greater improvement among children. Inspiration!

 

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Texas 249 Toll Project Won’t Require Taxpayer Support
Houston Chronicle (Texas), June 19, 2017

The Montgomery County Toll Road Authority is moving forward with plans to construct a $73 million, 3.6-mile tolled section of Texas 249 that officials say will not use any taxpayer dollars and will help fund additional mobility projects in the future. (Houston Chronicle image by Brett Coomer)

Tolling Called Viable Revenue Source for Connecticut
The CT Mirror, June 18, 2017

We’re beyond the useable life of a lot of our bridges in Connecticut. They’re beyond their design life. Most of them were built in the ’50s or ’60s. And they’re operating over capacity. What you need is a new revenue source altogether, and tolls could possibly generate $900 million a year, which is the type of revenue source you would need to accomplish some of these projects.

Rhode Island Full Speed Ahead on Truck Tolls
American Shipper, June 12, 2017

Rhode Island Department of Transportation has entered a contract with Kapsch Traffic Com IVHS to design and build electronic tolling facilities and related infrastructure for the state’s controversial truck-only tolling program. … Construction of the tolling facilities will be ongoing through the end of 2018, with tolling locations coming online as they are built. The first two tolling locations are expected to be operational and collecting revenue by the end of 2017.

 


Commentary: Running a Red Light Is Potentially Lethal
New Haven Register (Connecticut), June 21, 2017

While drivers run the red in Westville by accident, drivers blaze right through every other red wholly on purpose. … Public safety has a role in the civil rights debate. Your right to run a red light must be weighed against my right not to be killed as I’m using the crosswalk. Given Connecticut saw more than 50 pedestrian deaths last year, it seems red-light proponents are on solid ground.


Letter to the Editor: Bring Back Red-Light Cameras
The Gazette (Colorado), June 21, 2017

Please, please, please bring back red-light cameras and speed cameras. I’d rather some idiot driver have his privacy invaded by the cameras than have the side or front of my car (and possibly my body) invaded by their car when they smash into me.

 


“Speed cameras can effectively capture this violation and send a strong message to that motorist that speeding will not be tolerated. Additional speed cameras at key locations — a proven tool in reducing vehicle speeds will help us accomplish this, and by all means speed cameras will support our officers.”
Polly Trottenberg, New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner
Queens Chronicle (New York), June 15, 2017