[Robotgroup] Real "robocops" coming to austin...

[Don Colbath]

MLK will be a great spot for increased revenue, oops, I mean traffic safety.
I got a ticket there.  It's a no right turn on red but doesn't look like a
normal spot for that.  It's because two lanes can turn right legally when
green like Manchaca and Lamar.  You can be in line at that light and watch
dozens of folks make the right turn on red every minute.  They can really
rake in the bucks there.  The cop was a real smart ass. When I told him I
didn't see the sign because I was looking right and left to make sure it was
safe he told me "It's what we call an Over Sized Sign".
This is when I wish I had installed Trunk Monkey.

Don
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vern Graner" <vern at txis.com>
To: "The Robot Group Mailing List" <robotgroup at puremagic.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 3:57 PM
Subject: [Robotgroup] Real "robocops" coming to austin...


------------------- CLIP -------------------
2 red light cameras being tested downtown

By: News 8 Austin Staff
www.news8austin.com

The city is getting ready to test its red light camera
pilot program in downtown Austin.

Two red light cameras have been installed at the
southbound frontage road of Interstate 35 and MLK
Boulevard and 11th Street at I-35. They will start
taking pictures in two weeks.

City officials say those two intersections have the
highest number of red light-related accidents.

"There's been information or studies funded by the
Federal Highway Administration that demonstrate that
these programs greatly reduce the amount of red-light
accidents," Joe Ramos of the city of Austin said.

The purpose of the program is to compare two
companies, Red Flex and American Traffic Solutions,
which make the red light cameras. This test is being
paid for by the vendors.

The camera will capture the picture from behind, so
that it captures both the vehicle and the red light in
the same photo.

For 60 days, the city will record how many people are
running red lights at those intersections, but
violators won't be ticketed.

Once the program is launched, a citation will be
mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.
Violators could face fines of $75 and contest
citations in Municipal Court.
-------------------/CLIP -------------------

Interesting counter to their claims of "these programs greatly reduce
the amount of red-light accidents"

http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/2007Virginia.pdf

 From the federally the above federally funded study:

-------------------- CLIP -----------------------
one jurisdiction (Arlington) suggests that cameras are associated with
an increase in all six crash types that were explicitly studied
(rearend, angle, red light running, injury red light running, total
injury, and total).
-------------------- /CLIP ----------------------

A nice article that also details how the claims of "greatly reduced"
accidents are exagerated:

http://www.motorists.org/photoenforce/home/rear-end-collisions-go-up/

Vern

--
Vern Graner CNE/CNA/SSE    | "If the network is down, then you're
Senior Systems Engineer    | obviously incompetent so why are we
Texas Information Services | paying you? Of course, if the network
http://www.txis.com        | is up, then we obviously don't need
Austin Office 512 328-8947 | you, so why are we paying you?" ©VLG
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