http://www.dailynews.com/opinions/ci_17796800

Daily News Editorial: City should examine alternatives to red-light cameras
Posted: 04/08/2011 08:19:12 AM PDT

What if Los Angeles could drop its money-losing and questionably effective red-light cameras and still make dangerous intersections safer?

You'd think city officials would jump on the solution.

But this is L.A., where good ideas wither on the vine.

Recently, the advocacy group Safer Streets L.A. produced a report that showed simple engineering measures, such as lengthening yellow lights by an extra second, could significantly reduce collisions and make red-light cameras unnecessary.

Even with the new report, the Police Commission this week extended an expiring contract for red-light enforcement cameras by three months while it analyzes the system's impact on public safety.

To its credit, the commission is giving serious consideration to the Safer Streets report. But this is not the first time city officials have questioned the effectiveness of the city's red-light camera program.

Last year, an audit by Controller Wendy Greuel found the city subsidized the cameras at a cost of more than $1 million a year - yet there was little proof that the cameras cut the number of accidents. Half the intersections had fewer accidents after the cameras were installed, but the other half either had more accidents or the same number of accidents with the cameras, according to Police Department data.
 

Despite concerns about the cost and success of the program, the City Council has extended the red-light camera contract at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department, which insists the cameras make driving in L.A. safer. LAPD officials note there have been no red-light accident-related deaths at monitored intersections compared to the five documented in the two years before cameras were installed.

(Ban the Cams note:  Las Cruces NM pulled a simlar stunt by saying the RLC "saved" a life. But neglected to mention it was a DUI.  http://blog.motorists.org/las-cruces-manipulates-ticket-camera-numbers)

At the Police Commission hearing this week, no surprise, camera vendor American Traffic Solutions trotted out the standard line: Red-light cameras save lives.

The Safer Streets report, however, offers another option based on statistics compiled by the Texas Department of Transportation. Extending yellow lights by one more second decreased red-light violations by 53 percent and crashes by 40 percent. A 2002 study in San Diego found a 30 to 55 percent reduction in violations when yellow lights were lengthened.

Likewise, Safer Streets said the city could reduce the risk of collision by implementing a two- to three-second "all red" phase, where lights in all directions stay red to allow cars to clear the intersection.

In the midst of a budget crisis that will cripple public services, city officials must look critically at every program - yes, even public safety programs. If L.A. can make our dangerous intersections safer without wasting money on red-light cameras, then City Council and Police Commission would be irresponsible to ignore this solution.

A Los Angeles Daily News editorial. To read more editorials from the Daily News, go to www.dailynews.com/opinions.

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