Red Light Camera News Red Light Cameras Simply a Scam
http://www.abqjournal.com/main/2011/10/23/opinion/red-light-cameras-simply-a-scam.html
Red Light Cameras Simply a Scam
By Dan Lewis / Albuquerque City Councilor on Sun, Oct 23, 2011
The red light camera program in Albuquerque has probably been the single most discussed and debated issue in the city over the last few years. Those on both sides of the question would agree that it’s time to make a final decision about the program.
Though the red light camera debate is a small concern compared with our country’s economic crisis, it is actually a microcosm of many of our problems: It has constitutional implications, it’s an issue of fiscal responsibility, and it also involves a large out-of-state corporation unlawfully influencing local elections while violating our campaign ethics laws in the process.
In the Oct. 5 special election, more than 20,000 citizens of Albuquerque voted to reject the red light cameras. Some have argued that the vote was close and therefore should not count. However, on the West Side, 56 percent rejected the cameras in District 5, and 67 percent rejected the program in District 1. In fact, seven out of the nine City Council districts overwhelmingly rejected the cameras.
Albuquerque was the 18th city to reject photo-enforcement at the polls. The cameras have never survived a public vote.
Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., of Arizona, and headquartered in Australia, spent more than $140,000 to persuade Albuquerque voters to approve the program. Redflex spent more than any other campaign or candidate in this past city election, and the company did so while violating several of our campaign finance laws.
For example, the company disguised its influence through a so-called measure finance (political action) committee deceptively called “Safe Albuquerque Roads,” when our ethics code instead required it to use the name in the committee’s official title because it was such a large financial contributor to the campaign.
It is important to remember that under the current contract with Redflex, the city of Albuquerque will make absolutely no money from the program. In fact, our city has lost up to $100,000 a month under the program over the last year – meaning that every taxpayer in Albuquerque, not just the violators, has been subsidizing the program.
Over the last five years alone, Redflex has profited over $18 million and the state of New Mexico was paid $7 million, while the city of Albuquerque could not even pay the expenses of operating the program. Twenty-five million dollars came out of the pockets of Albuquerque citizens, money that could have remained in our city.
Whether or not the program actually stops red light runners is also highly questionable. The studies show that most violators are cited because they misjudge the last quarter-second of the yellow light.
Other cited violations are from rolling right turns on red, where a driver stops, then turns right when the intersection is clear. These are not the typical red light runners nor are they the violations that cause accidents.
After a thorough review of dozens of extensive studies done by cities and agencies around the country, the conclusion is obvious: The cameras give a false sense of security to the public. The 14 intersections in Albuquerque with cameras are not safer due to the cameras. The camera program merely enables the city to engineer photo-enforced intersections for revenue from violations so that the program will break even or produce a profit, and ignores the many other traffic engineering methods that have proven to reduce accidents.
Alternative measures that have been proven to increase public safety include all-red clearance levels, extending yellow lights, improving sight lines and a multitude of low-cost structural changes. By ending the photo-enforcement program the city will now be forced to engineer these intersections for safety, not revenue.
On Nov. 7, the Albuquerque City Council will vote on a bill that repeals the ordinance that authorizes the red light camera program.
It’s time to end this scam and begin engineering our streets for safety.
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