Red Light Cameras

First of all, there is a commission meeting next Tuesday, January 25. The agenda can be found here. More about the meeting tomorrow.

As most of us know North Bay Village has a program to capture red light runners on film. We don't know how successful it's being. Of course, any program in the city is now kept as walled in as North Bay Island. Initially, I was really in favor of it, regardless of the revenue benefit, as running red lights is dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists. I had hoped it would increase safety on the causeway.

It may have. I don't know and you don't know. No statistics are published.

But there is controversy on the fairness of the program. This article from Palm Beach calls into question the basic rules of evidence used in the ticketing, and regardless of how you feel about red light running, the law should be respected by enforcers as well.

Another article, from the computer geek site Gizmodo explains how traffic lights can be manipulated. I have heard around town that many residents are convinced that since the advent of the red light cameras, the yellow lights have been shortened. I haven't noticed it myself but I am not a daily driver.

Still, it would be interesting to find out more about the red light cameras and how it's working out here.

Kevin Vericker
January 20, 2011