265 votes
Remove Enforcement Cameras at Intersections
Current cameras are installed for revenue gathering purposes only. Not safety. Middle class taxpayers, paying to have them installed are the main targets/victims...with these camera's, we taxpayers are basically hurting ourselves. Camera's placed in high crime areas and parks would be more use... more
John Lundin
Thank you for listing this. These cameras are simple exploitation, enabled by handing over enforcement contracts to private subcontractors. This is not the way to bring better control over traffic, only a sneaky way to increase revenue.
Erik
I have run out of votes, but this is a damn good idea!
Alex Jones for prez!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPyeSiVmKgw OH COME ON FOLKS, their soo not done with this yet. Give them your money and help the TRACK and CONTROL police state grid NOW wont you? JUST DO IT FOR THE CHILDREN!! How will they ever afford their implantable chip when the economy totally collapses by design this year? And where else can we assist them in putting up these cameras to "help" the poor and lost peoples from fleeing into the wilderness? oh yea duh, all cell phones already do it for them.
Mike B
The flash of blinding light every time the light changes is likely to cause more traffic accidents than the tickets save, and is a potent reminder of the surveillance state we are under.
Get rid of the flash, and lengthen the yellow lights to a safe 5-6 seconds.
Glenda
I got a violation for making a right turn at 11 miles per hour! And it was confirmed by a video camera showing the light turned red at the same time my tires touched the white line of the crosswalk. At this time I was watching the road. I did not interfere with a pedestrian or on coming traffic or I would have stopped. I have not received a traffic violation in 25 years. The cost of the “infraction” was $125. A camera violation is to be equivalent to a parking ticket. Your average parking infraction is ... more
I got a violation for making a right turn at 11 miles per hour! And it was confirmed by a video camera showing the light turned red at the same time my tires touched the white line of the crosswalk. At this time I was watching the road. I did not interfere with a pedestrian or on coming traffic or I would have stopped. I have not received a traffic violation in 25 years. The cost of the “infraction” was $125. A camera violation is to be equivalent to a parking ticket. Your average parking infraction is $35. For $125 I can park in a private lot, downtown for a couple of hours 25 times! My Google searches also indicate that the cameras HAVE resulted in increased rear end accidents. Ask why! The ONLY PURPOSE of cameras is revenue generating. So, where is the revenue going anyway? The answer will dictate the true purpose of the cameras. Public safety is not why these cameras exist!
Civicus
Increase the use of cameras into heavy crime areas and potentially dangerous and vulnerable locations (where govt vehicles get torched) using software programs designed for Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Initiate a results oriented leadership role rather political feel good sound bites into resolving crime. Develop web sites to show where crime is occurring on a recent basis that has been done for other cities.
GregK
Hi Todd. Council member Nick Licata mentioned some results from the current Seattle cameras in a recent newsletter:
http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/up/283.htm
"In Seattle, red light cameras have reduced red light running by 59.3% and there were fewer injury crashes and fewer persons injured in crashes at test intersections than before cameras were installed. Moreover, crash severity at control intersections without cameras showed an increase in the number of persons injured."
So ... more
Hi Todd. Council member Nick Licata mentioned some results from the current Seattle cameras in a recent newsletter:
http://www.seattle.gov/council/licata/up/283.htm
"In Seattle, red light cameras have reduced red light running by 59.3% and there were fewer injury crashes and fewer persons injured in crashes at test intersections than before cameras were installed. Moreover, crash severity at control intersections without cameras showed an increase in the number of persons injured."
So there's reason to believe that they are doing what the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says they will do - reducing injury crashes.
Does your friend have any data he can share with us?
Frankly I wonder if folks that get so pissed-off about the idea that they shouldn't run red lights should maybe take a break from driving - at least until they take an anger management class or two :-) Seriously, though, we unnecessarily lose way too many Americans on the road and it's a big drain on the economy (even if you don't care about the grieving families, maybe the loss of money will make you think twice?).
And Aaron - you got a source for that rumor?
So far all I see from the anti-side is unsubstantiated - if you've got something real cough it up!
Aaron Roden
I have heard that over half of the tickets that have been issued are for people making a free right-hand turn.
Todd Holec
I have a good friend who is a traffic engineer and works at an advanced level at the WA state DOH. If you argued that the cameras improved safety he would respectfully disagree. The cameras are strategically placed at intersections based upon studies by the companies who contract with the public agency to install the cameras. The cameras are placed strategically based upon revenue generation. Private industry and the city are in it for the money. Unfortunately the city is not by law allowed to place the ... more
I have a good friend who is a traffic engineer and works at an advanced level at the WA state DOH. If you argued that the cameras improved safety he would respectfully disagree. The cameras are strategically placed at intersections based upon studies by the companies who contract with the public agency to install the cameras. The cameras are placed strategically based upon revenue generation. Private industry and the city are in it for the money. Unfortunately the city is not by law allowed to place the devices at locations based upon income generation, only for purposes of safety. The locations where cameras turn up tend to be poorly planned traffic intersections or heavily congested roads where short cycling lights will result in easy fines. Someone please show me a study that impirically shows that the number of red lights run at a camera intersection is reduced by the installation of a camera. Find just one reliable intersection study in Seattle and I might change my opinion. Otherwise kill the cameras. Where will the cameras be placed next? These camera proponents have got to be working for the industry. I can't stand Tim Eyman... but if he took up an issue like this he would finally push a successful piece of legislation through. Problem is there is no money to support the cancellation of the cameras... only money behind their support.
Alex Steffen
I say give us MORE cameras! We need to slow traffic down in this town, and charging people for infractions is smart and just. More cameras please!
Kathleen Anderson
As a pedestrian who was nearly hit by a vehicle running a red light, I say give us more, not fewer, cameras. They also enabe us to make better, more effective use of our law enforcement officers.
Kali Idziak
And apparently the city has shortened the yellow lights at intersections with red light cameras... love it. Let's make it dangerous to stop if not impossible in certain circumstances just so we can raise more money. There's nothing safe about that.
Adam Wasankari
My Idea is way better and I could use more votes. Please type : ((( immortality ))) and see what I wrote.... At least to be seen on the 1st page thnks....
AustinK
I don't think this is a real priority for the city. Seriously how can you best improve Seattle with your 10 votes?
Kali Idziak
mmm.... police state. Love it. These lights are blinding and considering that they take pictures when no light is changing they are dangerous. On more then a few occasions I've been blinded by one of these lights at night, when the light I had was green and wasn't changing.
GregK
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (aka the folks who pay when you t-bone someone at an intersection :-) respectfully disagree:
http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/rlr.html
Looks like
a) yellow light lengthening doesn't solve the problem
b) red light cameras do
Cars and trucks are the leading cause of death among children in the US:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm
If you can't be bothered to stop at a red light *you've* got a problem. Treat that ticket like the u... more
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (aka the folks who pay when you t-bone someone at an intersection :-) respectfully disagree:
http://www.iihs.org/research/qanda/rlr.html
Looks like
a) yellow light lengthening doesn't solve the problem
b) red light cameras do
Cars and trucks are the leading cause of death among children in the US:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/childpas.htm
If you can't be bothered to stop at a red light *you've* got a problem. Treat that ticket like the useful reminder it is and start driving like you actually care :-)
Ry
Those cameras not only catch vehicular violations, but can also be instrumental in solving pedestrian crimes via the time-stamps on them. Like kidnappings possibly, wayward rabid animals, hit and run crimes.... if anything we need more!
modoperator
Statistics have proven that simply increasing the yellow light duration by 1-2 seconds more or less eliminates the need for red light cameras entirely. Google it. It's not a good vs bad citizen issue, it's a revenue issue for the cities. Some cities have in fact started to remove cameras because they were ordered to increase yellow light durations by the courts, thus making the cameras no longer economically efficient. It's clearly not about safety.
SPG
I'm sorry that you ran the red light. I'm sorry that you got a ticket. Pay attention next time and don't run the red light.
Until Seattle hires more cops and gets them out on the street to write that ticket in person, we'll need to keep the red light cameras. In the meantime adjust your driving habit to slow down and stop when you see the light turn yellow instead of trying to just make it.
Aaron
The cameras make intersections less safe, not more safe. Rear end collisions increase. Motorcyclist deaths increase. Revenue cameras serve no purpose other than to make the city money. Proof of this is that the number of tickets and red lights run drop to almost nothing if the yellow light times are increase to 5-6 seconds. Yet, they are set to only 3 seconds on intersections where cameras are installed. The cameras are not about safety, they're about money.