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Red light: Traffic cameras bring Ohio town to screeching halt
Fox News ^ | June 07, 2013 | Michael Cipriano

Posted on 06/07/2013 7:43:57 PM PDT by george76

Edited on 06/09/2013 7:00:47 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]

Those traffic cameras drivers hate and municipal bean counters love have brought a small village in Ohio to a grinding halt.

Elmwood Place (pop. 2,188) has seen four of its six Village Council members resign amid public outrage over a flurry of fines issued by the cameras. The devices have raised nearly $2 million for the tiny Cincinnati suburb, but angry drivers and shopkeepers complain the ticket blitz from above could turn downtown Elmwood Place into a ghost town. Now, with two-thirds of the council gone, partly in protest over the cameras, the governing body can't reach a quorum to conduct the people's business.


(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: New York; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: redlight; redlightcamera; redlightcameras; trafficcameras
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To: meyer

The traffic “engineers” answer to congestion is too often to add more and longer lights. This just increases congestion, the analogy is water through a pipe. Constrict the flow and slow it down and the amount of water that goes through is diminished. Same with traffic.

Arrows first is another change they make. When arrows are last and people can proceed when clear there is often no need for an arrow cycle after. Arrows first and big delays on red in all directions is a safety first choice to help guaranty your right to a risk free life. ( I forget the # for that in the Bill of Rights....) And it increases their revenue.

Another fiasco are federally mandated and lefty loved HOV lanes. The occupants of those lanes are generally buses, delivery truck drivers and construction pickups, and moms with their kids. They do little to increase car pooling, only revenue. It’s one of my favorite traffic laws to violate so I can piss off liberals in the next lane.


61 posted on 06/08/2013 7:20:13 AM PDT by wrencher
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To: riverrunner

That may be part of it, use the weapon at hand. But a .22 will only ruin a piece of glass. Easy to repair. Hoisting a burning tire onto one will destroy the entire device. Much more effective.


62 posted on 06/08/2013 7:21:45 AM PDT by wrencher
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To: wrencher
The long cycles help lead to increased red light running.

Then why does increasing the length of the yellow by one second decrease ticket revenue by 90%?

According to you, it should lead to MORE revenue.

63 posted on 06/08/2013 7:55:50 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("Forget it, Jake. It's Eric Holder's people.")
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To: george76

My response to the cameras is simple and very effective:

I choose to not visit the businesses within a one block area. Too risky.

Many others are doing this too.


64 posted on 06/08/2013 10:29:59 AM PDT by buffaloguy
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To: jdege
For me, for traffic light cameras to be acceptable:

I would add a few more requirements:

  1. Traffic which entered an intersection after the light turned read should suitably delay the corresponding green light. After all, if the purpose of the cameras is to improve safety, the traffic light circuitry should use them for that purpose.
  2. Only in the scenario where a vehicle entered an intersection when the opposing lights and it appears the driver made no effort to ensure that there was no opposing traffic, should the fine be of a level appropriate for a safety violation.
  3. Scenarios in which entering an intersection on red would not require vehicles which are already in motion to change their behavior, but which would require stopped vehicles to wait longer before getting underway, should be fined at a level appropriate for a courtesy violation.
  4. Fines should only be assessed against people who enter an intersection on red after stopping or slowing below 2mph to ascertain that there is no possible opposing traffic if in the three months prior to the infraction there have been zero instances of a police car or other government vehicle doing such a thing. Anyone who is ticketed for such behavior and can provide evidence that within the previous three months government vehicles had engaged in such behavior would be entitled to a refund of 150% of the ticket amount and costs; people who had been ticketed would be entitled to share such evidence.
Those sound like good additional requirements?
65 posted on 06/08/2013 1:32:53 PM PDT by supercat (Renounce Covetousness.)
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To: Persevero
One time, one-tenth of a second, I was caught. For that low risk, accidental, no harm, flow of traffic error, I paid $460. Ridiculous.

Indeed. One question I'd like to ask the installers of those things: if a vehicle enters an intersection when the light is read, but before the opposing lights turn green, are the opposing lights delayed?

If they are, then entering the intersection late wouldn't endanger anyone--at worst it would delay some other motorists by 1/10 second, making the fine unreasonable. And if they aren't, that would imply that to the extent other motorists were endangered, it was a consequence of the installer's failure to mitigate such danger--again making the fine unreasonable.

66 posted on 06/08/2013 1:37:22 PM PDT by supercat (Renounce Covetousness.)
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To: cyclotic
RE:.... but they are too stupid to move around so it’s always in the same place.”

What's that say about those who keep getting caught by them?
With all the complaining you would think these cameras are in our Kitchens.

67 posted on 06/08/2013 1:41:47 PM PDT by sickoflibs (To GOP : Any path to US citizenship IS putting them ahead in line. Stop lying about your position.)
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To: george76

“The people’s business” my ass. 2/3 down, 1/3 to go.


68 posted on 06/08/2013 1:43:49 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: sickoflibs

The one by me everyone but out of staters slow down a bit before then floor it after. I just look for the porta pottie they always hide behind


69 posted on 06/08/2013 1:56:40 PM PDT by cyclotic (Hey BSA-NOT IN MY TROOP)
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To: Persevero

If someone wants to fight a ticket based on those camera’s, how does the camera answer when cross examined...the camera is the accuser not anyone from the chicken stick government...we have a right to face our accuser in a court of law.....


70 posted on 06/08/2013 6:05:44 PM PDT by goat granny
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

What study do you refer to? For every study there’s a counter study, so which to believe? Most such studies are biased and produced to support some lobby faction.

So how is the second defined? Is it 1 second more or less than the standard for the other signals in the area? How is it measured, after the locals adjust to the change, or before?

Interminable cycles with delays between every change and separate stages for arrows in every direction increase the motivation for a motorist to squeeze through at the end, rather than to wait.


71 posted on 06/09/2013 5:07:02 AM PDT by wrencher
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To: george76

When the government indiscriminately surveils the citizenry of a country, the government has erected the machinery of tyranny.

Whether it’s traffic cameras or Internet snooping.

Those politicians that enable the indiscriminate surveillance of the nation’s citizens should swing at the end of a rope.


72 posted on 06/09/2013 5:14:23 AM PDT by sitetest (If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)
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To: Jonty30; All

That’s what they do, they have to do that, to generate the revenue...That’s all traffic/red-light cameras do is generate revenue, it is NOT about public safety...At all...


73 posted on 06/09/2013 6:54:09 AM PDT by stevie_d_64 (It's not the color of one's skin that offends people...it's how thin it is.)
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To: jdege

They won’t do that...Really???

Why cut off your nose, dispite your face???

Priority number one, make the money...All other ocnsiderations are secondary or not considered...

Public safety is never a real incentive for these programs, it only sounds good forthe media to help justify the revenue generation for the municipality...


74 posted on 06/09/2013 6:57:16 AM PDT by stevie_d_64 (It's not the color of one's skin that offends people...it's how thin it is.)
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To: sickoflibs

Which app do you use?


75 posted on 06/09/2013 7:29:47 AM PDT by nonliberal (Graduate: Curtis E. LeMay School of International Relations)
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To: goat granny

“.we have a right to face our accuser in a court of law.....”

agreed.

But what does this mean? One can legitimately wiretap, with a warrant and probable cause, etc. The recording hears you arranging a robbery. Is it then your accuser? I’d say the wiretapper is.

Also in the case of a red light camera, the camera is not your accuser, but the cop who reviews the footage or whatever.

I am not defending red light cameras. I just don’t think you necessarily need an eyewitness to be an accuser to be accused of a crime.


76 posted on 06/09/2013 8:55:06 AM PDT by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
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To: Mad Dawgg
Two days later his car and the mayors both got cement blocks through the windshield with notes attached saying change the ordinance now.

And this is how to get things done. It's the only thing they understand.

77 posted on 06/09/2013 9:01:47 AM PDT by unixfox (Abolish Slavery, Repeal The 16th Amendment!)
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To: Persevero

A cop can read all he wants but he did not observe this infraction...He cannot speak on behalf of the red light camera. If he wasn’t there, could any thing he says be “hear say”. The camera is the accuser, without it there would be no ticket unless the officer witness the infraction. Bring wire tapping in is a totally different subject. As far as your suggestion of what is heard on a wire tap, no driver says out loud to anyone....”hey I am going to run this red light..it is comparing apples to oranges...


78 posted on 06/09/2013 9:02:16 AM PDT by goat granny
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To: conservaterian

Per 10 mph. In town. So, at 30 mph I am at least 3 car lengths.

I seldom drive interstate which is 75 mph here. I stick to the right and do 60 sometimes 65 mph, so 7 car lengths is about right - especially since 75 to most drivers means they can get away doing 80.

I’m pretty much left in the dust...:)


79 posted on 06/09/2013 12:12:48 PM PDT by KittenClaws ( You may have to fight a battle more than once in order to win it." - Margaret Thatcher)
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To: jdege

Item 4 would be difficult. They produce revenue and they’re overseen by politicians. Anything a politician spends revenue on buys votes for himself, even if it’s crossing guards.


80 posted on 06/09/2013 5:28:15 PM PDT by ArmstedFragg (hoaxy dopey changey)
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