Foes seek to stop red-light cameras

NEW PORT RICHEY - City officials here have given a green light to cameras at intersections to catch violators of red traffic signals.

But all three state lawmakers based in West Pasco want to put a stop to the red-light cameras.

Advocates insist the cameras reduce the number of side impact collisions at intersections. Opponents insist the evidence is clear the cameras can result in many more rear-end collisions.

Foes of the devices also object to what they see as a back-door way for cash-strapped cities and counties to raise more revenue.

A showdown could come in 2011 with attempts to repeal the new state law that authorized and set standards for the automated devices — and gave the state a cut of the revenue from red-light fines.

The city of Port Richey helped pioneer the use of red-light cameras several years ago before any regulations had been spelled out. The devices automatically snap a photo of the license plate of a car when a driver moves through an intersection after the traffic signal has turned red.

The devices catch photos of drivers who violate a red signal on northbound and southbound U.S. 19 at Ridge Road. Police review evidence before tickets are sent to accused drivers, who can appeal.

Meanwhile, the city of New Port Richey has hired a contractor to put up red-light cameras, Police Chief Jeff Harrington said. City officials had waited until after the new state regulations went into effect July 1 to make a decision.

"We have far too many accidents and far too many fatalities for a city of our size," Harrington said. "We're much higher than cities much larger."

The cameras might modify the behavior of drivers who run red lights, Harrington thinks.

The cameras likely will appear in four locations, Harrington expects, although they have notbeen finalized. The intersection of U.S. 19 and Main Street seems a likely candidate.

Drivers might see the cameras around town by April, the police chief said.

New Port Richey selected American Traffic Solutions to install and operate the system. "They were the overwhelming choice of cities and counties. They had a good, solid traffic record."

Harrington says he approves of "anything we can do to improve the safety. There were research studies on both sides" of the safety issue. "We were of the opinion that the data proves they improve traffic safety."


* * * * *

Newly elected state Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-New Port Richey, is most adamant about repealing state authorization of the use of red-light cameras. He'll co-sponsor legislation to do so in 2011.

"All it is," Corcoran said in an interview, "is a way to raise taxes on citizens."

"At no time should we allow government to raise taxes" without using the revenue to benefit the public, he said.

"The safety concerns are opposite" from what camera defenders say, Corcoran insists. He claims that studies show monitoring intersections yields only a nominal reduction in side-impact crashes and produce a large increase in rear-end collisions.

State Rep. John Legg, R-Port Richey, is another camera critic.

"It is unfortunate that some local governments have manipulated the idea of public safety as a mechanism for increased revenues," Legg said. "The American Automobile Association as well as many other groups have studies that have shown that the use of these cameras do not decrease accidents, but in fact increase them.

"Hopefully, common sense will prevail, and expanding government for the sake of increasing revenues without providing additional safety will cease," Legg said.

State Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, said he has "always been skeptical" of the motivation for using the devices.

"Cities claim it's now being done because it has become a public safety issue," Fasano said. "I believe the red-light cameras are more prevalent statewide because it's a moneymaker, a new source of revenue for the cities. If that is not the case, why did the red-light cameras not exist when our economy was booming and Florida cities were inundated with dollars to spend?"

Officials with the Libertarian Party of Florida have vowed to work for repeal H.B. 325 "Uniform Traffic Control" authorization for the red-light cameras.

The party "now seeks an all-out ban of the devices which create more problems then they solve," according to a Dec. 18 news release.

"Some people are under the misguided idea that the cameras will reduce accidents at intersections," the statement declares, but data show a greater risk of accidents because drivers brake to avoid getting caught by the camera.

Libertarian Party officials suggest that increasing the time span of a yellow light by one second, combined with an additional second between red and green for cross traffic, dramatically decreases accidents.

Red-light cameras have been banned in Connecticut, Nevada, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Minnesota.