Red Light Camera News New York Activist Takes Aim at RLC SCAM! (check out his site: www.redlightrebels.com)
THE RLC REVOLT CONTINUES: http://www.redlightrebels.com/
(Ban the CAMS would like to Thank www.stpetecameras.org for the link).
http://www.liherald.com/stories/Stop-lights,31774
March 31, 2011
Stop Lights
Baldwin's Jack McCloy takes aim at red light cameras
Chris Connolly
Jack McCloy of Baldwin was driving in Queens when a close call at a red light generated some unintended correspondence New Yorkers are becoming all too familiar with: a $50 red-light camera ticket.
Most drivers simply shrug or cluck resignedly upon receiving one of these notices — according to McCloy, Nassau County collected over $10 million last year from the tickets, and New York City reaped over $55 million — but McCloy, who has previously engaged the county over vehicular matters, is not one to benignly accept the rulings of his municipality. He has initiated a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court challenging not only his ticket, but the utilization of red-light cameras in Nassau County and statewide.
“The use of red-light cameras seems to be a revenue-generating tool instead of a safety device,” McCloy said, “and I aim to convince the court that unless they are used properly, they should be prohibited completely.”
Seeing red
The germ of McCloy’s argument — one that has no doubt occurred to many drivers cited with stoplight violations — is that the timing of the lights, and especially the yellow light, seems intended not to allow drivers to stop safely, but rather to trap them into a violation. McCloy, in short, believes that the timing of yellow lights has been intentionally configured to generate income for the county.
“If the amber light signal is short-timed, it does not give the approaching driver enough time to stop before the red-light camera operates,” McCloy said. “If the amber light signal is short-timed, it is the functional equivalent to providing no amber light signal at all, and that is entrapment.”McCloy’s thoughts on red-light cameras, as well as the evidence he plans to present suggesting that the yellow lights do not allow adequate stopping time, are cataloged on a website he has designed, www.redlightrebels.com (see sidebar above), but his case, in essence, is that, according to the motor vehicle safety authority Edmunds.com, it takes about 4.4 seconds to stop a car traveling 30 mph. “Many traffic lights in New York are set to change from green to yellow to red in three seconds,” McCloy alleges — thereby allowing insufficient time for a driver to perceive an imminent red light and come to a stop.
“If the minimum amount of stopping time is not provided, then it is entrapment,” McCloy claims on his site. “It is the same as if there was zero time between the green and red signals. If red-light cameras are not timed properly, they should be prohibited completely.”
Unsatisfied with passive observation of yellow lights, McCloy took steps to confirm what he calls the “short timing” of the cameras. “I observed a number of traffic lights and even videotaped them,” he said of his field research. “I used a program called the Pinnacle Systems video-editing software, which times video frames up to 1/60th of a second. I timed the camera that generated my ticket, and it came in at 3.0 seconds on the nose. I also sent a request, under the Freedom of Information Act, asking the City of New York about the timing of the light where I got my ticket. They confirmed that it was three seconds”.
Friends and neighbors:
supportive but skeptical
When McCloy announced to his wife that he wanted to spend $305 in filing fees to wage his war against a $50 ticket, she was taken aback. But to McCloy, it’s not about the money. “Until someone stands their ground and contests these summonses,” he insisted, “they will continue indefinitely.” McCloy’s neighbors have taken to jokingly calling him Don Quixote, he said, explaining that the appellation refers not only to his crusading ways, but also to the popular perception that getting a red-light ticket dismissed is next to impossible. Still, McCloy is not alone in his fight: Samuel J. Levine, former president of the Nassau County Board of Judges, has publicly endorsed McCloy’s efforts and has also initiated a court challenge of the red-light tickets, this one on constitutional grounds. The goal of both lawsuits is to allow voters to decide whether red-light cameras violate drivers’ rights.
Legal proceedings on hold
McCloy’s suit was originally set to begin in State Supreme Court on March 22, but the New York City Law Department asked for an extension. His action was brought under Article 78 of the New York Civil Practice Laws and Rules — a statute that allows citizens to question legal proceedings and determinations — but according to McCloy, the state attorney felt that the case carried more weight than actions traditionally filed under the article and requested more time to prepare. “They told me the red-light case was bigger than what they usually see,” McCloy said. “They said they might have to stop issuing red-light tickets in the wake of the case and asked for more time.”
Elizabeth Thomas, a media and communications specialist at the New York City Law Department, characterized the extension request differently, saying, “The extension was a standard request.” Thomas added, “Since the case is pending, we are unable to comment on the specific allegations but will address them when we file our response papers.”
For his part, McCloy remains confident no matter the reason for postponing the hearing. “I agreed to the delay, and I think I’m right,” he said. “I’m going to be successful no matter how long they take.”
The new court date for McCloy’s action is April 26. See LIHerald.com/Baldwin for continuing details on the case.
Comments about this story? This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
| File | Description |
|---|---|
 Nassau ANTI RLC article and group.pdf |
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