Red Light Camera News PA Rep Scott Perry STRIPS NAME FROM BILL THAT HAD RLC ADDED!
PA Rep Scott Perry STRIPS NAME FROM BILL THAT HAD RLC ADDED!
Perry bill turns into red-light camera renewal
GREG GROSS The York Dispatch
Updated: 12/26/2011 10:45:55 AM EST
Red light cameras may be in place in Philadelphia for another six months, much to the dismay of state Rep. Scott Perry.
Passed in the House last week, the bill would extend the city's pilot program through June and is being sent to Gov. Tom Corbett's desk for his signature.
The bill was originally sponsored by Perry, R-Dillsburg, to amend the state's official definition of a motorcycle. The legislation was amended in the Senate to include the extension.
That didn't sit well with Perry, and he removed his name from the bill.
"I don't want my name associated with this red light program," he said.
Perry sees the cameras as "un-American and un-constitutional."
He says those fined through the use of the cameras are guilty until proven innocent, which goes against the American justice system.
Expansion: The bill, however, doesn't expand the program to other cities in the state.
But that doesn't mean red light cameras couldn't eventually
come to smaller cities, such as York.
There are two bills that would allow first-, second- and third-class cities, such as York City, to install the cameras at designated intersections.
One of the bills, sponsored by state Rep. Will Tallman, R-Read
ing Township, was referred to the House rules committee last week.
That bill originally amended transportation laws by increasing fines for Maryland truck drivers whose rigs are insufficiently licensed while operating in Pennsylvania.
The red light camera aspect was tacked on in the Senate after the House approved Tallman's original bill and sent it to the Senate. After the Senate approved the amended version, the bill was sent back to the House.
The other bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, R-Chester and Delaware counties, is in the House transportation committee after being approved by the Senate.
The similar bills would allow cites with a population of at least 18,000 and a full-time police department to install red light cameras. The bills would not affect townships.
Improvement: State Rep. Seth Grove, R-Dover Township, said Philadelphia has seen a drop in the number of accidents at problem intersections where the cameras are used.
"Nearly all of them had a reduction in accidents," he said.
Only one intersection showed an increase in accidents, while the rest saw decreases. Grove, however, said officials need to be careful where cameras are installed and should target intersections with high crash rates.
In July, Gov. Tom Corbett's Transportation Funding Advisory Commission recommended expanding the state's automated red light enforcement program to dangerous intersections throughout the state.
But, State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York City, said if the program is extended, he'd like to see it first as a pilot program at problematic intersections in York City to see how it works.
"When you put them up all over the place, they get to be more of a revenue generator," he said.
With the passage of the bill that extends Philadelphia's program, DePasquale said he doesn't see red light cameras coming to other cities anytime soon.
Perry said red light cameras could be just the start of additional surveillance equipment used by law enforcement to monitor citizens.
They could lead to the use of speed cameras, used to detect vehicles that are going above the speed limit, he said.
"Who knows where it can go from there," Perry said.
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