Red Light Camera News Seeing red in Buffalo
City of Buffalo
Seeing red in Buffalo
While mayor's budget is 'go' for red-light cameras, others want to bring the revived proposal to a screeching halt
By Brian Meyer
Published: May 8, 2011, 7:15 AM
Updated: May 8, 2011, 9:46 AM
Motorists who run red lights could help pay the freight for everything from theatrical productions and museums to flower displays and inner-city arts programs if Mayor Byron W. Brown can persuade lawmakers to approve his controversial plan.
Brown, four years ago, floated the idea of installing cameras that would photograph the license plates of vehicles that run red lights. Then, in this year's proposed budget, he renewed his proposal as a "creative" way to help dozens of cultural groups that have been hit hard by county budget cuts.
The mayor insists that installing surveillance cameras at busy intersections would save lives and said he was prepared to earmark $300,000 in revenue from fines for one-time grants to arts groups.
"The cornerstone of our commitment to public safety is that we implement each and every measure we can -- like red-light cameras -- to reduce crime and make our streets safer," Brown said.
Some cities, however, have ditched red-light cameras, and voters in others have rejected them. The head of a national drivers' rights organization said opposition to the cameras is growing.
"Red-light cameras essentially act as a tax on a small subset of motorists," said Gary Biller, executive director of the National Motorists Association.
The mayor's proposal has triggered these developments:
* A renewed petition drive against red-light cameras, with some opponents talking about pushing for a referendum.
* A closer look at "engineering solutions" to deter red-light runners, including making amber lights slightly longer.
* Questions about a $500 donation Brown accepted two years ago from an Arizona company that is a major player in the red-light cameras industry.
* Scrutiny of studies that reach conflicting conclusions over whether red-light cameras improve safety and about how much of the fines the outside camera providers end up retaining.
Critics see ploy
Critics call Brown's new push a ploy, noting that all Council members face re-election this fall.
"This is something I cannot support and will not support," said South Council Member Michael P. Kearns, chairman of the Council's Finance Committee. "It's just a money grab."
"It's a way to raise revenue under the guise of public safety," added Niagara Council Member David A. Rivera, a retired Buffalo police detective.
The Buffalo News interviewed all nine Council members. Five said they were undecided about red-light cameras, while three said they were leaning against the plan or opposed to it. The only lawmaker who said he is "inclined" to support red-light cameras was Delaware Council Member Michael J. LoCurto, and even he criticized Brown's attempt to "hold cultural groups hostage."
"It's nothing but a political gimmick," said LoCurto, who has been leading the fight to find city money for arts groups. "There are other ways we can fund these important organizations. The mayor knows that even if [red-light cameras] are approved, funding wouldn't even be available for close to a year."
When Brown last pushed for red-light cameras two years ago, he promised to use revenue from fines to hire 20 additional police officers. Some lawmakers said they are tiring of the mayor's carrot-dangling approach.
Fifteen states and more than a dozen cities, meanwhile, have passed laws that ban red-light cameras or other forms of speed surveillance devices, Biller said.
Last year, voters in Houston and two smaller cities rejected red-light cameras.
"There has not been a single case [in the United States] where red-light cameras have survived a referendum," said Biller, whose organization has 6,500 members in North America.
But fewer than 20 communities have put the issue to referendum, while nearly 600 now use the devices, according to Charles Territo, a spokesman for American Traffic Solutions, one of the nation's largest red-light camera providers. The number, he claimed, has grown dramatically in recent years.
"No one likes to get a ticket. But the bottom line is that red-light safety cameras work," Territo said. "They change driver behavior, reduce [serious] collisions and ultimately save lives." (Sure Tokyo Territo, how about asking Houston to RELEASE the RLC report from Nov 2010 that the TOWN REFUSED TO RELEASE just before the vote BANNING RLC! http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/33/3310.asp. You know the vote your COMANY is suing to OVERTURN!)
Brown said he was convinced public sentiment is on the side of the surveillance cameras. He noted that in this state alone, Rochester, Yonkers, Suffolk County, Nassau County and New York City already have the devices.
"We believe strongly that the public across the country, the public across New York State, the public across upstate and the City of Buffalo is overwhelmingly in favor of these cameras," Brown said.
No other community in Erie or Niagara counties is known to be seeking the cameras, and a local attorney said he was mystified by Brown's assertion that most people support them.
"I don't know what universe he's living in," said Joshua E. Dubs, who claims the vast majority of people he has encountered oppose the cameras.
Dubs' biggest beef with the plan is that it "outsources police power" to a company that is driven by profits.
"I think it's a dangerous precedent," said Dubs, who lives in North Tonawanda but has a law office in downtown Buffalo. "What's next? Private fire companies?"
Dueling studies
Both sides arm themselves with data from various studies.
Brown focuses on research by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stating that camera enforcement in 14 large cities reduced the rate of fatal red-light running crashes by 24 percent between 2004 and 2008.
But opponents of red-light cameras are quick to cite other studies that suggest the devices can increase the number of rear-end collisions.
Motorists who fear being caught on camera may come to screeching halt when a light turns amber, some argue, and wind up being hit by the vehicle behind them. Others worry about being ticketed as they legally move through amber lights.
But red-light cameras do not cause rear-end collisions, insisted Scott Leightman, director of public information for Redflex Traffic Systems, another industry Goliath. The culprits are reckless drivers who follow too closely, he said. Signs at intersections with surveillance devices can reduce such accidents, he added.
Opponents argue that other approaches to reduce the number of red-light runners are fairer and more effective. Even a one-second increase in the length of amber lights, for example, will reduce intersection collisions, according to the National Motorists Association.
Evaluations sought
City lawmakers asked public works officials about this "engineering solution" as they reviewed the mayor's budget proposal. Under Council questioning, City Engineer Peter J. Merlo said his office has not evaluated red-light cameras or reviewed whether extending the duration of amber lights might be an alternative. Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda said that if the program were approved, he could supply a list of recommended intersections based on accident data "very, very quickly."
Kearns, one of the Council's most vocal opponents of the cameras, said he thinks the city must do a lot more homework before even considering them. He has asked the city Law Department to determine whether the issue could be put before voters in a referendum.
"I think residents should have a say on this," Kearns said.
An online petition, meanwhile, has garnered more than 1,400 opponents of red-light cameras in the city. The drive began in 2009 as the city petitioned the state for permission to install the cameras. Brown said Friday that Buffalo is the only one of five municipalities to receive such permission that has not proceeded with red-light cameras.
The city has estimated that installing 50 cameras at 50 busy intersections could generate about $2.5 million over a full year. But critics have questioned the projections, insisting that the companies that provide equipment, maintain the cameras and process the citations keep the lion's share of revenue.
Campaign donation
If the Council approves the cameras, immediate steps would be taken to request proposals, Brown said.
"We would try to negotiate the best possible agreement," Brown said.
When asked, the mayor said he "wasn't even aware" of the $500 contribution to his re-election campaign from American Traffic Solutions.
Why would an Arizona-based company contribute money to the political campaign of a mayor in Buffalo?
"Why wouldn't we?" Territo replied. "Our goal is to support individuals who support red-light safety cameras, just as opponents provide support for those who oppose red-light safety cameras."
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Pros and cons of red-light cameras
Major arguments in favor of cameras:
* Cameras reduce the rate of fatal and severe red-light running crashes.
* The cameras' presence spurs speedy compliance of traffic laws.
* An entire city can be monitored for red-light runners without occupying officers.
* Fines can provide a new revenue stream.
* Additional revenue could be used to fund anti-crime efforts and quality-of-life initiatives.
Major objections from critics:
* Cameras can increase rear-end collisions.
* Due process is turned upside down; there are no witnesses or "accusers" to question.
* The vehicle's owner receives the ticket and may not have been driving at the time.
* Reckless drivers are not deterred by the cameras.
* Cameras can discourage communities from implementing "engineering solutions," including better synchronization of lights.
* Fears that police use cameras for purposes other than nabbing red-light runners surface, including concerns about monitoring of public demonstrations.
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