Red Light Cameras-sold on safety but MONEY changes everything

These two articles sure makes it seem like they are not very concerned about the proported safety aspect once they realize the $$ isn't there.

AxXiom

No green light for plan to use traffic cameras?

http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/...

By Steven Friederich - Daily World Writer

Thursday, January 24, 2008 10:48 AM PST

Red light cameras may not be the cash cow everyone expected, according to a new review, and Aberdeen Mayor Bill Simpson got mixed signals from City Council members Wednesday night on whether to proceed.

Public Works Director Larry Bledsoe reviewed a study conducted by Redflex Traffic Systems and crunched some numbers. He found that in order to break even, there must be at least 10 violations recorded per day. And even then, Bledsoe said he doubts that more than 35 percent of those who get tickets would actually pay the fine.

On a 6-5 vote, the City Council last September authorized the mayor to sign a five-year contract with Redflex Traffic Systems to install and manage the cameras at two downtown intersections.

Council members were told the red light cameras would be a deterrent and generate some extra cash for the city.

Bledsoe now says his "assumptions and recommendations" at the time were wrong. The Redflex traffic study showed fewer cars going through red lights than he envisioned.

At a minimum, he is recommending that the mayor delay signing any sort of contract with Redflex or perhaps scale down the plan to feature red light cameras only at the eastbound approach at the intersection of Heron and G Streets. [. . . ]

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http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/...

Initiative forces Simpson to hold off on red light cameras

Initiative forces Simpson to hold off on red light cameras

Mayor Bill Simpson will hold off on plans to put red light cameras in Aberdeen intersections in the wake of an initiative Tim Eyman is proposing to reduce traffic congestion.

Simpson had already been on the fence about whether to sign a contract allowing Redflex Traffic Systems to install cameras at a minimum of two intersections within the city.

But now, Eyman has proposed an initiative that could take any revenue the city would receive from the tickets the cameras would generate and put it into a special account to help reduce traffic congestion statewide.

"That's not really what we were expecting when we got into all of this," Simpson said.

The City Council narrowly authorized the mayor to sign the contract last September, under the premise that the cameras would bring in more revenue to the city and would be a boon to safety.

Then last month, city officials were told the cameras wouldn't be the cash cow everyone expected, after Public Works Director Larry Bledsoe crunched some numbers using a traffic survey Redflex conducted. [. . . ]

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http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/...