Traffic camera pact may expand plan

Advocate file photo by BRYAN TUCKA traffic camera is in place May 1 near the intersection of Ambassador Cafferey Boulevard and Congress Street in Lafayette. The Lafayette Council is trying to collect fines issued under the city’s traffic camera enforcement program that have gone unpaid for months.

LAFAYETTE — A proposed amended contract with the company that manages Lafayette’s red-light camera enforcement program would keep in place the possibility of expanding the program and provide local government with a bigger share of ticket revenue.

The amended contract with Redflex Traffic Systems was introduced Tuesday at the Lafayette City-Parish Council by the city-parish administration. It is up for a final council vote May 15.

The contract renewal will come up for a vote later this month at the same meeting when the council is scheduled to consider a proposal to end the red-light camera program.

The cameras snap photos of a driver and license plate when a vehicle speeds through the intersection or runs a red light; the alleged violator is mailed a citation.

The vans, which use photo enforcement similar to the red-light cameras, are deployed at various locations at the discretion of the Police Department. The contract would raise the number of mobile speed enforcement vans from two to a minimum of three.

Supporters of the program, including City-Parish President Joey Durel, argue the red-light cameras have improved public safety.

Opponents say the program’s main goal is to generate revenue for the city.

If the council leaves the program in place, the proposed contract renewal keeps the door open for expansion, though the installation of new cameras would be at the discretion of Redflex, which would pay to install them.

There are 12 intersections monitored by red-light cameras in Lafayette; no new intersections have been added to the program since 2009.

The amended contract lists 17 possible locations for new cameras at intersections along Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Evangeline Thruway, Johnston Street, Pinhook Road and Congress Street.

The intersections were selected based on the history of right-angle crashes, or “T-bone” crashes, said Tony Tramel, City-Parish director of traffic and transportation.

He said most of those 17 intersections were listed as possible installation sites in the initial contract, but there have been delays in obtaining the needed state permits for cameras at those locations.

“We’ve had 17 more intersections on the books for five years,” Durel said.

Councilman William Theriot questioned whether the new contract should limit the program rather than set the stage for expansion.

“How far are we going to go? Are we going to have cameras at every intersection in Lafayette,” asked Theriot, who, with councilmen Jared Bellard and Andy Naquin, have proposed ending the automated enforcement program.

The 12 intersections with cameras account for 6 percent of the 190 intersections with traffic signals in Lafayette, according to the Traffic and Transportation Department.

The amended contract would raise the share of red-light camera ticket revenue that flows to the city-parish.

The proposed contract amendment would end the sliding scale system and give the city-parish a flat rate of 60 percent of all paid violations, effectively raising the city-parish’s share. Since the program began in 2007, the city-parish’s share of revenue has been based on a sliding scale that varies by the type and number of citations.

Under that system, the city-parish has received about 54 percent of the total funds and Redflex has received 46 percent, with about $5.7 million flowing to the city-parish and about $4.9 million to Redflex as of the end of 2011, according to figures provided by the city’s Traffic and Transportation Department.

Comments

1) Comment by PanamaVet - 02/05/2012

During the previous Lafayette Council meeting we learned that the year before the cameras were installed in Lafayette the Louisiana DOT reported 66 accidents. After the cameras were installed gasoline spiked at over $4 per gallon. Louisiana DOT reported traffic flow reductions ranging from 3% to 8% and 65 accidents in Lafayette. 66 to 65 is a 1.5% reduction. Lafayette claimed a 77% reduction in accidents. How so? They excluded accidents in which the vehicles were knocked into the intersection beyond the stop bar. Their criteria would also exclude T-bone collisions resting inside the intersection. We learned that Redflex does not put their red light sensors at the stop bar for your vehicle. They move the sensors closer to the light. This makes it possible to cite vehicles that have legally entered the intersection at the stop bar. At the meeting last night we learned that the Louisiana DOT is forcing Lafayette to stop writing invalid citations and move all of their sensors to the stop bar. After the meeting Mayor Durel told KATC he refused to issue any refunds. He does not consider the citations invalid. He thinks of it as nothing more than a speed change. Safety proponents are calling for adoption of federal safety guidelines for yellow light timing. We learned that the current formula has not been updated since the 1940’s and the Louisiana DOT has been examining a new formula. Georgia adopted the standard plus one second and cut red light running at photo enforcement intersections over 70%. Ohio followed suit. Cities have adopted the standard with great success. San Diego was sued by their photo enforcement vendor when they adjusted yellow light times and made their intersections too safe. Cameras were bankrupted. Steady income is proof the cameras are ineffective. The Louisiana DOT has denied Lafayette requests for cameras on state roads because the Louisiana DOT is in the business of protecting people, not camera revenue. Lafayette should adopt the yellow light standard plus one second and use the results to determine if the contract should be renewed. I don’t expect them to because Lafayette government is focusing on money and Mayor Durel is not giving it back.