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Red-Light Cameras Bring 321 Tickets Inside A Month

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By KLINT LOWRY

The Suncoast News

Published: June 9, 2008

PORT RICHEY - The lights and cameras have been in place for two months, and there's still plenty of action for them to record at U.S. 19 and Ridge Road.

But now that red-light runners are getting fined, the city's police force hopes word will spread and one of most dangerous intersections in Pasco County will get a little less so.

"The whole idea of this program is deterrence," said Officer John Schwarz, who is the red-light system's local point man. "We're trying to minimize severe crashes."

On April 1, the system began monitoring southbound traffic on U.S. 19, specifically to capture drivers who run red lights at Ridge Road. From the beginning, police and the city made a point of publicizing the cameras' presence.

"We want you to know it's there," said interim Police Chief David Brown. "That's why we went over a month with warnings."

During that time, car owners received warnings for 427 red-light violations. On May 2, the system went "live," meaning violators would get citations and a $125 fine. Through May 27, there were 321 tickets issued for red-light running at the intersection.

The tally shows the potential for danger at that crossroads, Schwarz and Brown said. That's 321 incidents of people running red lights in just one direction and at just one intersection.

"That is the only thing we are looking at," Schwarz said. "We're not splitting hairs here; these are not close calls."

Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions operates the cameras and online monitoring equipment. That company runs more than 1,000 traffic camera systems in 120 cities in 15 states, the District of Columbia and the Canadian province of Alberta.

At U.S. 19 and Ridge Road, there are three cameras and a flashing light that acts as a timing mechanism. One camera records a constant video stream of the intersection. Another is trained on the traffic light. When the light turns red, the camera sends a signal that starts a timer that gauges how much time elapses before vehicles in violation actually enter the intersection.

ATS reviews the images and sends along clear-cut violations to this city's police department. Florida law requires that a certified law enforcement officer - in this case Schwarz - review the images before a ticket can be issued.

From May 2 to 27, Schwarz rejected 25 incidents ATS sent him.

Usually, a rejection has something to do with the image, especially if a license plate can't be read. Officers can toss out a case if they think there were mitigating circumstances - if a large truck blocked the driver's view of the light, for instance.

Once it's agreed an infraction occurred, ATS sends out the ticket with three photos: a license plate close-up; the vehicle about to run the red; and the driver actually doing that.

The ticket provides an ATS Web address where motorists can watch a video replay of the incident.

If drivers are still unconvinced, they can request a hearing. If they don't win, they have to pay a $10 court fee on top of the ticket.

Though they've been around for decades, traffic cameras are relatively new in West Central Florida, and with them have come the expected arguments: they're an invasion of privacy, they're unconstitutional, and they're just to generate revenue.

The legal questions have been addressed time and again, and Brown has a simple solution to that last complaint: Don't want to pay a fine? Don't run a red light.

Florida Department of Transportation figures suggest how hazardous that crossroads can be. Between 80,000 and 100,000 vehicles pass through the U.S. 19-Ridge Road intersection daily. In 2006, there were 26 major crashes, 13 with serious injuries. The first six months of 2007 saw 20 major crashes.

Since the cameras were switched on, Brown said, there has been a noticeable reduction in accidents there.

Brown eventually would like to see traffic cameras at two other Port Richey intersections:

•U.S. 19 and Grand Boulevard, about a mile south of Ridge Road;

•Ridge and Leo Kidd Avenue, a block east of U.S. 19.

"I don't care if we never see a dollar if we prevent crashes," Brown said. "All we're trying to do is make you a better, accountable, responsible driver."

Reporter Klint Lowry can be reached at (727) 815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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