Red Light Camera News Yellow light traffic study
http://www.kasa.com/dpps/news/politics/yellow-light-traffic-study_4000090
Yellow light traffic study
Updated: Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 11:42 AM MST
Published : Monday, 28 Nov 2011, 11:42 AM MST
Crystal Gutierrez
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Two city councilors who helped get rid of Albuquerque’s red light cameras are asking city administrators to rush a study to ensure the streets will be safe once they're turned off for good.
In less than a month and a half the contract for the red light cameras in Albuquerque will expire, and the cameras will be gone
But now two councilors are asking for insurance that the streets will remain safe.
“I believe that once those cameras are gone - people know these cameras are no longer at these intersections people will once again run red lights,” Councilor Ken Sanchez said.
Councilors Sanchez and Dan Lewis are proposing big changes for every intersection in the city. Extending yellow or red light times to ensure intersections are cleared before the light turns green again.
The city is already doing this at 20 intersections.
Most have increased their yellow light times by half a second two have increased red light times.
At Central Avenue and Coors Boulevard all traffic lights stay on red for more than 2.5 seconds now.
The pilot program began in January, after a traffic study completed a year ago.
“Within the red light camera study conducted by UNM there was section that stated that had identified by extending yellow times could improve - or may improve traffic safety at some intersections,” municipal development director Michael Riordan said.
The city says they believe it is making the streets safer but they can't be sure until the data is in and a study is complete.
Sanchez and Lewis want that study and they want it before the red light camera contract expires.
“That’s not really feasible for the reasons i said before we really need - when collecting traffic data - is to have a full year's traffic data so you’re not comparing any anomalies,” Riordan said.
The city says it would do no good to compare summer traffic with winter traffic.
The program will wrap up in December.
Then it will take another four months before UNM compiles the data and issues another report.
Sanchez says by then the red light cameras would have been turned off for more than three months.
“I don't think that we can wait that long to get this done,” Sanchez said.
According to Riordan the extended yellow and red light times will remain in effect until the study is complete.
The councilor's resolution demanding the full study has yet to be voted on by the full council.
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