News
Texas: Red Light Camera Tickets a Man Running a Green Light
thenewspaper.com
Cities that use automated ticketing machines at intersections routinely assert two things: The camera does not lie, and at least three humans review each citation before it is dropped in the mail. That did not happen in Port Lavaca, Texas. On September 12, Port Lavaca Police Sergeant Kelly Flood signed a ticket accusing Dale Price of running a red light and demanding he pay $75 by October 12, but the light was green.
Texas City Works with Traffic Camera Company to Nullify Anti-Camera Vote
thenewspaper.com
A red light camera company and officials in the city of Baytown, Texas are conspiring to nullify the results of an election. In November, 58 percent of voters approved a ballot measure prohibiting the use of red light cameras unless a police officer is present to witness any alleged offense. American Traffic Solutions (ATS) filed suit in February to overturn the result of this vote, and city officials on September 22 asked Harris County Judge Michael D. Miller to sign off on a settlement of this suit that was prepared by ATS.
Albuquerque, New Mexico becomes the sixteenth city where voters rejected the use of photo enforcement.
thenewspaper.com
Voters in Albuquerque, New Mexico turned out in large numbers Tuesday to vote down the use of automated ticketing machines. Nearly 40,000 ballots were cast on an advisory question that City Councilor Dan Lewis placed before voters.
DFW cities hit roadblock in collecting red-light fines
star telegram.
Millions of dollars in red-light tickets in Tarrant County are going unpaid, and cities haven't been able to do much about it. They can't issue warrants and arrest red-light runners caught on video because those tickets are considered civil violations.
Expert says Lynnwood traffic camera data is inconclusive
heraldnet.com
The data compared crashes at each intersection with red-light cameras, before and after the devices were installed. Although supporters have for years claimed the camera program has brought lots of safety, the cops have acknowledged the crash data is inconclusive.
Houston Pulls Plug on Camera Program
thenewspaper.com
The long battle over the red light camera program in Houston, Texas ended Wednesday. The city council voted 14-1 to repeal the ordinance that granted American Traffic Solutions (ATS) the right to issue automated tickets at fifty intersections throughout the country's fourth largest city.
New Class Action Lawsuit Filed
ABC13.com
A class action lawsuit has been filed against the city of Houston over red light cameras which are currently turned off. The plaintiffs want the city to dismiss all of the tickets that were issued after voters turned down the cameras last November.
Houston Mayor Parker turns cameras back on
Houston Chronicle
Houston's red-light cameras have been busily snapping pictures of motorists running afoul of traffic laws since the surveillance system was turned back on at 6 p.m. Saturday, but not a single city violation has been issued.That's because Houston police have not staffed the in-house office that reviews the raw feed of violations provided by American Traffic Solutions cameras stationed at intersections. A city official and a Houston police spokesman said they don't know when Chief Charles McClelland will order the review to begin.
Traffic Camera Companies step up fight against ballot measures
thenewspaper.com
Although red light camera supporters insist the programs enjoy broad support among the public, traffic camera companies are taking extraordinary measures to block ballot measures that would gauge public sentiment on the issue. Anti-photo enforcement initiatives are meeting corporate opposition in five cities in Washington state while American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is moving to reinstate red light camera use rejected by a majority of Houston, Texas residents. Albuquerque, New Mexico appears to be the only city with an unopposed referendum vote in play.
Decision overturning Houston Anti-Camera referendum appealed
thenewspaper.com
The battle over the Houston, Texas red light camera program returned to the legal spotlight Monday. A majority of voters agreed with Francis M. Kubosh and Randall Kubosh in November that the automated ticketing machines should be removed, but a federal judge intervened earlier this month and overturned the election (view ruling). The Kuboshes filed a reply brief with the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Monday seeking to restore the result of the public vote.
Hialeah ends red light camera program
Miami Herald
On Tuesday, the City Council took a final vote, 6-1, to end the program. Councilwoman Vivian Casáls-Muñoz voted against ending the program. She did not respond to calls for comment. After the meeting, Hernandez reiterated his opposition. “How am I going to support cameras that I believe are illegal and were put there to raise revenues for the state, the city and a private company in Arizona?” he said.
EDITORIAL; Red Light Camera Flop
Washington Times
The traffic-camera industry must be getting desperate. The Los Angeles Police Commission unanimously voted on June 7 to end the use of red-light cameras in America’s second-largest city. Voters in Houston last year amended the city charter to compel a reluctant city council to unplug the devices, which had been generating $10 million in annual revenue.
Federal Judge Overturns Houston Red Light Camera Vote
KTRK Houston
You voted to turn them off, but now it looks like Houston's red light cameras might be turned back on. It's all because of a federal judge's ruling on Friday.
Former Cleveland, TX councilman caught fabricating accident data
cleveland advocate
In Cleveland, there were more accidents at Loop 573 at Hwy. 105 in just the first 30 days of camera activation than in the entire 18 months before the cameras went up, according to the only official red-light camera crash data, which can be found on TXDOT’s website. I have no idea how Mr Dodson can claim that cameras reduce accidents when the only evidence we can point to in his city clearly indicates otherwise.
Los Angeles Police Commissioners vote out ATS cameras
thenewspaper.com
Red light cameras may disappear from the nation's second-largest city. The police commission in Los Angeles, California voted 5 to 0 yesterday to deny renewal of the city's photo enforcement contract with American Traffic Solutions (ATS). The decision is a stunning reversal for a program that has been in place for over a decade. Between 2004 and 2010, a private vendor has issued over 183,000 tickets worth more than $80 million. The problem is that the state's share of that revenue is so great that the city claims it is losing money from the cameras, even though tickets are $476 each.
Florida judge rules red light cameras unconstitutional
Fox news Florida
a Broward County judge says it's unconstitutional that red-light runners caught by police face stiffer penalties than drivers caught on camera. He's ruled that police officers in his area that spot red-light runners can't write them tickets.
ATS Executive Caught Faking pro camera postsFox news Florida a Broward County judge says it's unconstitutional that red-light runners caught by police face stiffer penalties than drivers caught on camera. He's ruled that police officers in his area that spot red-light runners can't write them tickets.Fox news Florida a Broward County judge says it's unconstitutional that red-light runners caught by police face stiffer penalties than drivers caught on camera. He's ruled that police officers in his area that spot red-light runners can't write them tickets.Fox news Florida a Broward County judge says it's unconstitutional that red-light runners caught by police face stiffer penalties than drivers caught on camera. He's ruled that police officers in his area that spot red-light runners can't write them tickets.
sound politics
The controversy surrounding traffic enforcement cameras has been a big draw for people who post comments to Heraldnet.com. Some folks seem compelled to weigh in with opinions on nearly every story. Apparently that includes at least one vice president at an Arizona-based camera company.A poster using the screen name "W Howard" has commented 43 times on our site since June. The unifying themes in these posts are that the cameras are good, that they are making the world safer and that anyone who says otherwise -- particularly Mukilteo initiative activist Tim Eyman -- needs their head examined.
Another town rejects ATS red light cameras
thenewspaper.com
Another Massachusetts jurisdiction that uses the broadly representative "town meeting" form of government has said "no" to the use of red light cameras. Residents gathered at the annual meeting in Raynham on Monday voted 104 to 95 against the idea of petitioning the legislature for permission to install automated ticketing machines. The town has a population of about 11,000, and all qualified inhabitants are allowed to vote.
Red Light Camera Backlash Shakes up Texas Elections
camerafraud.com
Politicians are almost always in a hurry to sign on with the Redflex/ATS agenda when they’re shown the money. That gravy train was destined to fall off the tracks all along and last week some Texas politicians got the message.
Accidents down at Houston Red Light Camera Locations
By James Pinkerton
Houston Chronicle
In the five months after Houston voters forced city officials to turn off a camera surveillance system that fined motorists for running red lights, traffic accidents at those 50 intersections with 70 cameras have decreased 16 percent, according to recently released data.
Astroturf citizens group blocks public vote Houston, Baytown vote out Red Light Cameras
thenewspaper.com
An Australian company has hired kingmakers from Chicago, Illinois to prevent Texas residents from being able to decide whether or not red light cameras should be used in their community. A "grassroots" group calling itself the Texas Traffic Safety coalition filed a lawsuit to stop the city of Port Lavaca, Texas from holding a referendum on the photo enforcement program run by Melbourne-based Redflex. Although no court order was issued in the case, the city council decided not to hold the election, despite the city charter's instruction that the council must place a qualified petition on the ballot.
Accidents increase at League City Camera Locations
The Truth About Cars
Overall, the total number of accidents increased 20 percent at League City’s monitored intersections. Rear-end collisions jumped the most with an increase of 68 percent. Only injury crashes saw a decrease from a rate of 19 before to 16 afterwards. The TxDOT reports offer a limited look at the effect of cameras, with 8 to 9 months of data for the “after” period and 18 months for the “before” reports. The analysis reflects accident rates on an annualized basis.
ABC13 AP article
Houston voters have given a "red light" to the city's 70 red-light cameras. With almost all of the city's precincts reporting, 52 percent voted to turn off the cameras being used document motorists who run red lights, with 48 percent voting to keep using them.
