LL Pulling Plug on Traffic Light Cameras

The Loma Linda City Council this week resolved to discontinue the use of red-light cameras at several of the city’s busiest intersections by the end of the year.
Redflex Traffic Systems, which installed and maintains the red-light cameras, has a contract with the city that runs until December.
The city council voted 3-1 April 13 to allow the Redflex contract to expire without renewal. With councilman Ovidiu Pospescu abstaining, councilmen Robert Ziprick, Floyd Petersen and Rhodes Rigsby called for the cancellation of the traffic camera program. Mayor Stan Brauer opposed allowing the contract to lapse.
Popescu and Rigsby seven months ago sought to end the program, which is hugely unpopular among city residents. The exorbitant fines generated by the system have soured much of the populace’s attitude toward the city, which has been using the program to generate revenues, even as city officials such as Ziprick and Brauer had previously insisted that the devices enhanced safety.
A majority of the tickets issued related to the failure of motorists to come to a complete stop while making right hand turns against a red light, which belied Ziprick and Brauer’s claims. There was also concern that the timing of the traffic lights’ change from amber to red created an unfair trap for motorists with less than razor sharp reaction time even if they were traveling at or below the speed limit.
Others have maintained that the cameras have resulted in an increase in rear-endings.
The cameras were first erected in 2005. Both Redflex, the city and the courts have seen a substantial boost in proceeds from the tickets at that time.
Popescu declined to cast a vote on the matter because he believes that Ziprick, until recently a camera advocate, is utilizing the issue as political ploy. Ziprick is up for reelection in June.
Popescu implied that Ziprick was cynically seeking to manipulate the city’s electorate by trying to take credit for his reversal and that the council could accomplish the same end by quietly allowing the contract to expire.