What a great thing; where else can government get an improvement in safety at the same time as not only not having to pay for it, but actually making up some of the revenue denied them by the legislature, who forbad local counties from receiving tax revenues above the 2001 amounts received. Of course it's not good if they never corrected mistakes, but it looks like they're quite willing to give people the benefit of the doubt and correct mistakes. I'd sure like to see more, especially those related to right turns on red. I can sit here and think of two people who died because of someone running a red-light (and one of them Mr.. Megs refused to even charge the driver when the 13-year-old girl was killed!). Given this, these cameras and their related tickets seem to be our only way of preventing this from happening more often. Chip _____ From: tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:tabi-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Easy Talk Sent: Sunday, July 31, 2011 8:43 AM To: tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [tabi] traffic light cameras in tally Thought some of you might find this interesting. front Sun, Jul 31, 2011 | Updated: 8:24 AM 17,001 red-light camera citations issued in Tallahassee By TaMaryn Waters Democrat Staff Writer July 31, 2011 A year after Tallahassee began enforcing red-light traffic violations with cameras it's got six intersections covered by 17 cameras and has issued 17,001 red-light camera citations through Friday. The first camera went live a year ago today at Monroe and Tennessee streets. Flickering flashes from red-light cameras also have snapped government vehicles including several StarMetro buses, city work vehicles and Leon County Superintendent Jackie Pons in a district vehicle. Despite growing controversy regarding the cameras statewide, Tallahassee officials say they help make roads safer. They have not been welcomed by all residents. According to the Leon County Clerk's Office, there were 148 motion hearings to contest citations in court. George Youmas, 37, a truck driver with Crowder Construction, said a $158 citation for his vehicle was mailed to a wrong address and the 30-day period to pay for it expired. That put his commercial-driver license in jeopardy. He was granted a 60-day extension to pay it at a hearing Wednesday. Youmas said he wasn't driving the vehicle -- a legal difficulty with the citations issued to the registered owner of vehicles caught on cameras -- but Youmas said he'd devoted too much time already tending to the issue and will pay it. "It's ridiculous," he said once the brief hearing was over. "It's totally ridiculous." The city has generated $878,022 since mid July from the citations. That's just the city's share, though, in a split that includes the state and the contractor hired to manage the system. The state got $875,318 through July 14 and the city's Virginia-based vendor, ACS State and Local Solutions, got $436,928. Michelle Bono, assistant to the city manager, said the cameras have helped change driving behavior for the better. "A lot of people would see yellow and sometimes yellow meant speed up to get through the intersection," Bono said. "I think a lot of people, including myself, see yellow and say slow down . . . . So why not just be a safer driver?" NO RIGHT ON RED Camera images from three approaches at Monroe and Tennessee streets have produced 5,009 citations since mid-July -- the most of the six intersections. The cameras at Capital Circle Northwest and Tennessee Street have sparked frustration among drivers. Many drivers stop at the no-turn-on-red westbound lane of Tennessee in preparation to turning north onto Capital Circle. But they didn't stay behind the stop bar marked on the street. Moving beyond the stop bar at the edge of Capital Circle triggers a citation. Despite signs indicating no-turn-on-red and another one regarding the stop bar, the westbound approach had 700 citations in June, the most for any single approach in one month since the program began. "It appears motorists who are going through there are treating it as a yield condition," said Allen Secreast, traffic mobility manager for the city. He said the Florida Department of Transportation prohibited right turns on red lights at the approach because of the high volume of traffic going through the intersection, including trucks. Officials noticed the intersection's high numbers when 147 citations in December jumped to 659 in January. The city soon ran a public campaign to make drivers more aware of the stop bar. However, Bono said she couldn't explain June's numbers. Greg Womble, 61, got a citation at the intersection in February. He rolled past the stop bar. "I don't really have a problem with the red-light camera program in general. What I had a problem with was with my particular case and with the design of the intersection," he said. "I got caught in no-man's land." Some residents are taking their chances in court. Of the 148 motion hearings, 81 were granted and 21 were denied. The rest are still pending. STATEWIDE The state has generated an estimated $19 million from more than 40 municipalities, according to the Florida Department of Revenue. But some cities are rethinking the cameras. Davie officials cited legal challenges and costs of running the program as reasons to reconsider, according to published reports. Red-light cameras are not leaving Tallahassee any time soon. The city is considering additional camera placements based on crash statistics. GOVERNMENT VEHICLES While residents were caught by red-light cameras, so were vehicles owned by the city, Leon County and Leon County Schools. Specific Leon County vehicle red-light citations were not available. But the city had 16 citations between Aug. 1, 2010, and July 15. Most were StarMetro buses and Dial-A-Ride vans. When a citation occurs, the city pays for it first and the employee who committed the violation must reimburse the city. StarMetro Executive Director Ron Garrison said he was surprised 10 of the city's citations were made by his employees but he said the volume of bus operation in the city should be considered, too. He said he would remind his staff to obey traffic signals and about the cameras. "It is a safety thing," he said. Leon County Schools vehicles had three citations, one of which was issued to Superintendent Jackie Pons. Pons was issued a citation at Capital Circle Northwest and Tennessee Street and says he didn't run a red light. However, like many violators at that intersection, he stopped his district vehicle beyond the stop bar. "I didn't realize I had a violation until we got contacted," said Pons, who paid the citation and didn't make a fuss. "They got me for passing the point."