Red-Light Cameras Stuck On Yellow
Mayor Anthony Foxx, a Democrat, originally floated a return of the red-light camera program to help CMS deal with its own budget woes, as well as a means off improving public safety.
The city’s own traffic studies, which looked at four intersections that had been equipped with red-light cameras, marked significant dips in some types of crashes after the cameras were installed. That pattern, however, continued even after they were removed. Meanwhile, the number of other types of accidents actually increased when the cameras were installed and decreased after they were removed.
From 1995 to 1998, before the cameras were used, the intersections logged 94 angle crashes (typically caused by somebody running a red light) and 285 rear-end collisions (typically caused by somebody slamming on their brakes to avoid running a red light). When the cameras were operational between 1998 and 2001, the same intersections tallied only 48 angle crashes, but 322 rear-end collisions; between 2006 and 2008, without the cameras in place, the intersections logged 41 angle crashes and 187 rear-end collisions.
Meanwhile, a wide variety of studies that have examined municipalities that operate red-light camera programs show negligible public-safety net benefit from their use.
“We need a lot more study on how effectively the program works,” said Councilmember Nancy Carter, a Democrat who voted to send the issue to committee for further review. “I don’t think we have enough data right now to make an informed decision.”
Carter also said committee review would give the council additional time to work with CMS and Mecklenburg County to craft an equitable solution on how to pay for the program, should it move forward.
“We’re all frustrated with a lack of funding,” Carter said. “The best thing can do is work together and see how we can support each other. If we can do that and save lives in the process, that’s a gain for everybody.”
Democrats Susan Burgess, David Howard and Warren Turner, along with Republicans Edwin Peacock and Andy Dulin, also voted to send the camera program to committee.
Democrat councilmembers Michael Barnes, Patrick Cannon, James Mitchell and Patsy Kinsey, and Republican Warren Cooksey, voted in dissent.
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