Legislative News Springfield, MA trying to cash in on the SCAMERAS, Legislature still has to OK (if they will).
(Thanks to www.motorists.org for the link!)
Springfield, MA trying to cash in on the SCAMERAS, Legislature still has to OK (if they will).
Ban the Cams note: Wonder how much the city is planning on "culling" from the local drivers. Given what vendors do elsewhere for right turns on red, stopping on the stop line, and split second mistakes, a lot.
Red light cameras win approval in Springfield; state OK pending
Published: Thursday, December 08, 2011, 7:30 PM Updated: Friday, December 09, 2011, 10:10 AM
By Peter Goonan, The Republican
SPRINGFIELD – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and the City Council have approved a home rule bill, that if approved by the state, would allow cameras and sensors at selected intersections, aimed at nabbing red light runners.
The bill was initially proposed in March but died in council committee. It was resurrected by the lead sponsors Councilors Thomas M. Ashe and James J. Ferrera III, and will be forwarded now to the state Legislature for needed approval.
As a home rule bill, it would affect Springfield only.
It was approved by a 11-2 vote by the council on Monday and then signed by Sarno.
“If one thing drives me crazy, it’s people who run red lights and stop signs,” Sarno said Thursday. “This is all about saving lives first and injury. Public safety is the number one priority.”
(Ban the Cams comment: YA right! So what vendor ya been talking too and how much cash they promise you???)
Under the proposed bill, photographs taken must show the car both before the infraction and after the infraction, and must “clearly identify the registration plate.” The car owner would have a right to a hearing to contest the infraction.
It would be used to catch motorists going through red lights and could be expanded to catch speeders, officials said. If approved by the Legislature and governor, the city could advertise for bids for traffic light monitoring systems.
Councilors Jose F. Tosado and Amaad I. Rivera were opposed.
“I really am concerned the whole ‘big brother is watching’ thing,” Tosado said.
In addition, Tosado said there have been court appeals filed about such programs, and questions raised about its reliability, and he believes the program “leaves so much room for misuse and inaccuracy.”
Ashe said there were public meetings including vendors of traffic light monitoring systems. Roughly half the states in the nation have some form of traffic sensors, and such programs have also been proposed in Massachusetts in Worcester and Pittsfield, he said.
“There is no question in my mind that it will have a positive impact on public safety,” Ashe said.
The program does raise revenue, but Ashe and Sarno described that as a secondary consideration to public safety benefits.
While proponents argue the monitoring devices and prevent accidents, death and injuries, opponents say the cameras can trigger people to brake dangerously and can violate privacy.
Ashe said the cameras focus on the license plate, not the passengers, and he does not foresee constitutional issues.
The former Springfield Finance Control Board approved an ordinance in 2006 to install red light cameras, and began seeking state approval but the program never took effect.
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