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Red Light Cameras Get Green Light

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 27, 2007

PORT RICHEY - The city expects to move ahead with a plan to install red light cameras near several intersections, which will thrust this small west Pasco municipality into the statewide debate over use of the traffic control devices.

This week, officials began soliciting bids to install the system, and they've already had a proposal from Missouri-based American Traffic Solutions.

The move, if the city council approves it, would make Port Richey one of a handful of communities across Florida to use the cameras, despite a state law prohibiting them.
Interim City Manager James Mathieu, who has reviewed recent legal opinions related to the cameras, said he believes the city has the authority to do it.

'We're going to proceed,' Mathieu said. 'There are many cities across the state already using the cameras for traffic enforcement and public support appears to be behind it.'

The junction of U.S. 19 and Ridge Road is a possible camera site, as are the highway's intersections with Grand Boulevard and Leo Kidd Avenue.

The city likely would place them somewhere off the highway because the state Department of Transportation won't allow the cameras on U.S. 19.

Here's how it works: The system provides photos and video of a vehicle and its license plate on a Web page. The police department, which has 24-hour access to the cameras, reviews the evidence and decides whether it backs up a citation.

If there's a violation, the owner of the car receives a ticket or warning in the mail.

The chosen company pays to install and maintain the cameras in return for a pre-determined percentage of the estimated $300,000 in annual ticket revenue.

Once the city selects a company, the council will need to approve a traffic ordinance allowing red-light cameras for local traffic enforcement.

The cities of Pembroke Pines and Apopka and the Panhandle town of Gulf Breeze have been using the cameras by exploiting a loophole in the law that allows municipalities to enact ordinances or install the cameras on city or privately owned property.

Nationwide, red-light cameras are being used in 14 states.

Supporters of the high-speed surveillance equipment say it's a way to crack down on red-light scofflaws while generating revenue for municipal coffers. Opponents say the cameras are a revenue generating gimmick that do little to crack down on violators.

Advocacy groups and a handful of municipalities across the state have lobbied the Legislature for years - with little success - to pass a law allowing the cameras.

A bill named after Mark Wandall, who died in 2003 when his car was hit by a red-light runner, was approved by a House subcommittee in the 2006 session but never made it to the floor for a vote. That proposal is expected to be revisited next year.

Meanwhile, private firms have been courting city and county governments and setting up pilot projects, anticipating law changes.

In 2005, then-Attorney General Charlie Crist issued an opinion saying it's 'unlawful' for cities to give red-light camera tickets without the sanction of the Legislature.

Crist said the cameras can be installed, but no ticket issued, because statutes require that a law enforcement officer must personally observe the violation to write a citation.

Recent studies offer conflicting information about the effectiveness of the devices. Some research shows a significant drop in deadly T-bone crashes at intersections where they've been installed; other data indicates a substantial increase in rear-end collisions.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached (727) 815-1082 or cwade@tampatrib.com.

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