Monday, August 29, 2011

Red Light Camera Fight Heating Up

Tim Eyman says his red-light camera initiative is sweeping the state and uniting people on a transportation issue they can agree on. One state rep even says that Washington is a battle ground state on the issue, because if the red light camera companies lose Washington, there's a good chance they'll lose the rest of the country.

Here's the latest on the anti-red light camera movement from the Seattle Times.

2 comments:

Barb Chamberlain said...

Anyone who thinks red light running isn't an issue that calls for eternal vigilance (yes, the price of liberty) should try to cross the intersection of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Browne as a pedestrian. For that matter, try to drive or bike westbound on Spokane Falls Blvd when you have the green light.

A half-dozen vehicles or more routinely run that red light from northbound Division as it does the wonky little swoop around the Convention Center site to become Browne. It's been the site of collisions and cries out for the next one of these cameras to be installed.

Don't think we should enforce laws with technology? Radar guns, metal detectors, GPS tracking units--we use lots of technology to identify people who are breaking the law. That's you, Mr. Speeding Driver who runs the red light.

Don't want a ticket? Don't speed.

My crabby comment is over now. :)

barb

SRTC Staff said...

Thanks for the crabby comment @Barb, although I don't think it's anymore crabby than what I've been saying for a while about red light cameras. I get it that people are afraid the cameras will become a permanent fund raiser for the City, but there's a simple solution if you don't want to 'donate' your money- like you said- don't run red lights. Is it because Browne is four (or is it three lanes) and it seems like a straight, open stretch from Spokane Falls Blvd. up to the freeway that so many people are running red lights? Because I see lots of red light running at Sprague and Browne too. A taxi got crunched pretty bad a while back while I was sitting at the light because the driver very blatantly drove right into the intersection on a VERY red light.


About SRTC

SRTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Spokane County. Urbanized areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people are required to have an MPO. SRTC was formed to address the county's transportation planning needs. It provides coordination in planning between the public, cities, small towns, the county, the state, transit providers, and tribes.

SRTC offers services including transportation monitoring, transportation modeling, census information analysis, travel demand forecasting, historical traffic count analysis, geographic information systems, and trip generation rates.