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221 Are Filmed Running Red Lights Traffic Cameras

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 21:00 CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS -- The cameras keeping watch over five Bluffs intersections have seen lots of action.

They recorded 221 red-light violations from the first day of enforcement, Aug. 4, through Thursday.

If the program works like it has in Davenport, Iowa, few of those violations will be challenged in court, and the Bluffs will see a drop in accidents related to red lights at busy intersections.

Bluffs Police Sgt. Chad Meyers said the cameras allow the city to enforce the law without taking officers away from other duties.

The department does not have exact figures, but the number of tickets issued by officers before the camera program was "not anywhere close" to the number caught by the new cameras, he said.

In addition, the cameras are in a nearly perfect position to catch violations, whereas a patrol officer might not be able to see the vehicle and traffic light well enough to issue a ticket, Meyers said.

The registered owner of the vehicle will be fined $65. Those who fail to pay, or fail to challenge the ticket in court within 30 days, will be fined an additional $35.

Tickets for the first group of violators won't arrive in the mail until Monday. City officials hope the time it takes to verify violations and issue tickets will be shorter in the future.

"Obviously, we expect it to be a lot more fluid as we go along," Meyers said.

Tickets will be mailed from the camera company's offices in Scottsdale, Ariz. The city contracted with Redflex Traffic Systems for the program. Redflex installed the cameras at its expense and will receive $30 of the fine from most violations. The city will use a collection agency to recover unpaid fines.

Davenport started its camera enforcement program last September. Like Council Bluffs, Davenport has cameras at five intersections and the fine is $65.

Davenport and Council Bluffs are the only two cities in Iowa to have red-light cameras. Officials from the two cities presented information about their programs to the Iowa chapter of the American Public Works Association last week in Ankeny.

Nebraska law does not allow camera enforcement systems.

Davenport's city engineer, Gary Statz, said about 3,600 violations have been recorded in the past 11 months.

Statz said only a handful of people challenged their tickets in court, and all have lost.

The Davenport Police Department shows drivers with questions a video of the redlight violation.

"The police have told me that once people come in and see it, they know they did it," Statz said.

The Bluffs program will allow people to visit a Web site to see their violations. The Web site is not open to the public.

Of Davenport's 15 most dangerous intersections, 12 had lower rates of accidents related to red lights from October through June, Statz said.

He said even though only five of those intersections have cameras, the program seems to be altering driving habits at the other intersections as well.

Nonetheless, Statz said, more study is needed. "It's still a little early to jump for joy."

Traffic cameras Council Bluffs intersections with cameras: Broadway at Eighth Street (eastbound and westbound) Broadway at 16th (eastbound and westbound) Broadway at 35th (westbound) Broadway at 21st (westbound) South Seventh Street at Willow Avenue (southbound)

Source: Omaha World - Herald

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