Texas House votes to ban red light cameras

txyaloo

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Glad to see they're doing this. The Senate has less than a month to get it passed, and I hope they do.

A town I live near has 4 (four way) traffic lights total and two of them (8 lights) have red light cameras.

Originally they couldn't get a contract with any of the camera companies because the potential revenue from the cameras would be too low. Somehow they finally found a company to install and operate them. Red light cameras are not about safety and reducing collisions. They're installed entirely for generating revenue.

AUSTIN -- A midnight decision in the Texas House may doom hundreds of red-light cameras operating across Texas.
Video

An amendment by State Rep. Gary Elkins (R-Jersey Village) would hand control of the cameras to the Texas Department of Transportation, away from the municipalities that currently operate them. In addition, the changes would bar TxDOT from adding new cameras to the system, and would require the state to refuse the renewal of any existing red-light camera contracts.

Supporters of the amendment say this would lead to the eventual phase-out of all cameras in the state.

Lawmakers approved the amendment just after midnight Friday morning, during a hours-long debate over changes to TxDOT’s administrative structure.

Houston operates cameras at 70 intersections, and a study commissioned by Mayor Bill White claims that the cameras have helped cut down on rear-end accidents at those intersections.

Frank Michel, a spokesman for White, told 11 News Friday that the city is directing its legislative team to urge members of the Texas Senate to vote against the proposal when it reaches that chamber later this month. Michel said the city of Houston believes the cameras have proven themselves to be an important tool for traffic safety.

Michael Kubosh, a Houston attorney who deliberately drove through a red-light camera intersection in order to get a ticket, said he was pleased at the Texas House vote.

“I’m thrilled,” he said. “This is what we’ve been hoping for.”
 

00slvrL

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more wasted $$$$$$$...........i know here in Houston they have no recourse if you dont pay.....it just goes to collections.
Not to mention i think they cause more accidents then they prevent.
 

txyaloo

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more wasted $$$$$$$...........i know here in Houston they have no recourse if you dont pay.....it just goes to collections.
Not to mention i think they cause more accidents then they prevent.

There was a story in the Chronicle a few weeks back about that. The city was trying to work something out with DPS and the county tax assessor to stop people from renewing drivers licenses and vehicle registration. The county basically told the city to f' off.
 

Tedisky

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Here in El Paso it causes more accident than helps. People are always slaming on there brakes not to get a ticket.
 

Sinister04L

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It's nothing more than a revenue generator. They don't give a shit about the "safety" reasons they're installed for.
 

Rochard

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I was in Phoenix last month and was stunned to see these cameras on the freeways - lots of them. Oddly enough, everyone was driving the speed limit.

However, it drove me up the wall doing 65mph all the time.
 

zak88lx

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They have gone crazy installing these red light cameras in Calgary.
We now have 45 fixed intersection cameras installed and they have now modified all of these red light cameras with a new feature called "speed on green".

So they will ding you if you run a red light and they will also ding you if you speed through the intersection.
The fine for running a red light is $287 and the max fine for speeding is $350 but those that are caught excessively speeding will face a mandatory court appearance.
 
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FINALLY! God I hate those things. Every other intersection here has them and the majority of the time they're flashing at absolutely nothing. Annoying.
 

txyaloo

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FINALLY! God I hate those things. Every other intersection here has them and the majority of the time they're flashing at absolutely nothing. Annoying.

The ones in Houston are insane. They flash anytime you go through the intersection which freaks people out. At least the ones in Austin only flash when someone runs the light.

I really hope the Legislature get's this passed. I haven't seen anything about the governor's opinion though. He very well could veto it.
 

pan7eraboyca

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I honestly have no problem with red light cameras. In Vancouver they hav been set up at the intersections with the highest crash stats. Since the cameras have been installed they have something like half the crashes. Red light runners are red light runners. They do it all the time (Ive known a few).

Now speed cameras I hate. Bastards.
 

Mustanger

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They don't prevent REAR end crashes..they are a major cause of rear end crashes. I think they do reduce red light running T-bone crashes ...but what a trade off. I hate the very idea of them.
 

cuban

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come to japan once if you want to see speed cameras. They are every where. literally in at 5 mile drive you will go past 30 speed trap cameras the only hitch is, is that they alternate which ones will be used and when so of those 30, 3 might be operating. But they do seem to work here for keeping the excessive speeding down, if they were to put red light cameras up this country would be the richest in the world, red here means 3-5 more cars can go through.
 

Hmbre97

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Ever since they put them up here in town, I have had to jam on my brakes several times for idiots who lock the wheels up to avoid any chance of getting popped by the camera. Hopefully this passes.
 

Lumpydogs

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They had one in Harlingen when I was out there last week. A friends wife got caught. She got a ticket mailed to her with a digital photo of the back of her car and license plate. My question is how do they know who was driving?
I guess the car owner gets the ticker :shrug:
 

331power

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They had one in Harlingen when I was out there last week. A friends wife got caught. She got a ticket mailed to her with a digital photo of the back of her car and license plate. My question is how do they know who was driving?
I guess the car owner gets the ticker :shrug:

That is right, if you own the car, it can be your dog driving the car, but it will be you, the registered owner, who gets fined.
 

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