Some Dallas Red light cameras being decommed

[wesman]

Interesting, I thought these were for public safety?????????

"Dallas City Hall has idled more than one-fourth of the 62 cameras that monitor busy intersections because many of them are failing to generate enough red light-running fines to justify their operational costs, according to city documents.

Initial gross revenue estimates for the red light camera system during Dallas' 2007-08 fiscal year were $14.8 million, according to city records. The latest estimate? About $6.2 million. City Manager Mary Suhm on Friday estimated net revenue will fall $4.1 million under initial estimates."

--wes

[Silver_2000]

They are working too well - time to remove them :gatling::gatling:

[wesman]

They are working too well - time to remove them :gatling::gatling:

Depends on how one views "well"

apparently working too well at making intersections safer is not what they preferred when they installed them.:flaming::flaming:


BTW- You know speed traps/stings are setup to make the roads safer right...has nothing to do with revenue :evil:evil

--wes

[L8 APEX]

They should just setup empty flash boxes IMO.

[wesman]

They should just setup empty flash boxes IMO.

Leave the signs up as well, it would be just as effective.

--wes

[SILVER2000SVT]

In Arlington they only posted the signs for about a month and now you just have to know that the cameras are there.

[wesman]

In Arlington they only posted the signs for about a month and now you just have to know that the cameras are there.


They probably noticed that the revenue was down when the signs were up :nono:

--wes

[98Cobra]

Thinking back to our last discussion on the topic - which always comes back to the real motivations for RLC...

Being right so often is quite a burden, but I can take it. :)

[Ohmsby]

Thinking back to our last discussion on the topic - which always comes back to the real motivations for RLC...

Being right so often is quite a burden, but I can take it. :)

+1:D

[Sonicblue03]

Depends on how one views "well"

apparently working too well at making intersections safer is not what they preferred when they installed them.:flaming::flaming:


BTW- You know speed traps/stings are setup to make the roads safer right...has nothing to do with revenue :evil:evil

--wes


It pisses me of when I see police setting on the side of the road with there little radar gun. Most people would probably agree that they don't want there tax dollars paying for some cop to sit on his ass trying to catch people going 5 mph over the speed limit. Go catch a real criminal. It's not like there isn't plenty of them.:flaming::flaming:

[Silver_2000]

It pisses me of when I see police setting on the side of the road with there little radar gun. Most people would probably agree that they don't want there tax dollars paying for some cop to sit on his ass trying to catch people going 5 mph over the speed limit. Go catch a real criminal. It's not like there isn't plenty of them.:flaming::flaming:

running radar is easier and generates revenue
Its also higher visibility

[projlightning]

running radar is easier and generates revenue
Its also higher visibility

plus they're able to meet their quota for the end of the month

[98Cobra]

I would argue that given the choice between RLCs and Speed cameras, versus actual cops running radar, I will take a cop any day.

A cop may let you off. An officer can be challenged in court. He might not be paying attention at the exact moment you are coming by. His presence will make people drive slower, but also safer. Other crimes in the immediate vicinity may not occur because he is there (vehicle breakins, etc.)

NONE of those is true with automated enforcement.

[Sonicblue03]

I like RLC even less. I just don't think my tax dollars should be going to some cop sitting on the side of the road trying to give people tickets for speeding. If they are out patrolling and investigating real crimes it would be just as good as being "visible". If one cop is sitting on the side of the road then that leaves less areas being watched for criminals. Most crimes probably don't happen right next to the highway. It's all about money and I understand this but that doesn't make anything safer.

[dboat]

I am waiting for Brian to comment here.. I would be interested in his POV on this..

Dana

my desire would be that if there could be a policeman on the scene within 5 minutes of a call, then and only then will crime really drop.. If it takes 15 minutes, then the bad guys know they can get away.

Dana

[Sonicblue03]

Dana that is a good point. I have nothing against police officers. I am friends with many of them and my brother is a police officer. I just think they could be used in a better way. My brother is the chief of police for a local law enforcement agency and has several years of military and police experience. He refuses to set speed traps and does not pull people over for speeding 5-10 mph over. He simply flashes his lights at them so they realize to slow down and he goes about his business of investigating real crimes.

[Ohmsby]

Most common response from LEO's on this I have heard is that traffic stops initiate criminal cases. Those getting pulled over may have warrants or most often drug charges.

I hate getting driving awards but I am the one who broke the speed limit.

[SILVER2000SVT]

Most of the new channels have done a special on RLC's but this situation catches the city in an out-right lie and should be investigated. As stated above they sold the public on RLC as a means to make intersections safer. We all kind of know in the back of our mind that its really about money but we couldn't prove it then. We also know it would have never gotten approved if it was about money. Now they aren't pulling in the revenue they expected and want to turn them off? What more proof do you need of their ill intentions? They stuck their foot in their mouth this time. Now it's time for someone to call them on it.

[Ohmsby]

They are wrong on so many levels

[Sonicblue03]

There was a thread over RLC before and most people agreed that it was :bs. Now they want to remove them because it doesn't generate revenue. As I stated before everything is about money. They should be called out on this. I agree +1000

[99WhiteBeast]

I would argue that given the choice between RLCs and Speed cameras, versus actual cops running radar, I will take a cop any day.

A cop may let you off. An officer can be challenged in court. He might not be paying attention at the exact moment you are coming by. His presence will make people drive slower, but also safer. Other crimes in the immediate vicinity may not occur because he is there (vehicle breakins, etc.)

NONE of those is true with automated enforcement.

I agree with your points till the point you say that slower is safer. I believe traffic flowing at 70 to 75 should not be dropped to an immediate 60 when there is a unsuspecting police car over the next hill.

For the past 5 years or so they have placed decoy vehicles (empty police cars parked on exit ramps perpendicular to the flow of traffic) on a stretch of I20 I travel frequently.

These decoys slow down traffic to the point of people knee jerking and causing accidents.

I haven't seen the decoys in some time which makes me wonder if someone challenged the city in court about the potential problems they caused.

Its the idiots that are doing 80 to 90 and swerving in and out of traffic is who they should be after not the average joe keeping with the flow of traffic.

[98Cobra]

Ah, but I didn't say slower = safer. I said "slower, but also safer". What I mean is that when you see a cop, you usually stop yapping on your cell phone, maybe turn down the radio, etc. For most people it is a sign to check yourself. I agree that some people just slam on the brakes but to be honest those people are usually way in excess of the limit or not paying very much attention anyway.

I too think that the whole "speed kills" mentality is a bit off. We definately have outgrown our speed limits in many places.

As usual, this Top Gear clip from at least 5 years ago sums it up well:

PN207AXBsLM

[dboat]

As I stated before everything is about money.

It almost always is and will almost always be that way.. however, sometimes power comes into the equation..

Dana

[Sonicblue03]

Ah, but I didn't say slower = safer. I said "slower, but also safer". What I mean is that when you see a cop, you usually stop yapping on your cell phone, maybe turn down the radio, etc. For most people it is a sign to check yourself. I agree that some people just slam on the brakes but to be honest those people are usually way in excess of the limit or not paying very much attention anyway.

I too think that the whole "speed kills" mentality is a bit off. We definately have outgrown our speed limits in many places.

Most people do slow down when they see a cop. Make sure you have your seatbelt on, turn the radio down some...etc. I personally, and I'm sure when several others see a cop, wait until you pass him and realize the chances of another one setting on the side of the road is slim. That's when my music turns up as well as the speed I'm driving. It really only has an effect for a very short area of highway or road. To me it's not worth the tax dollars to pay a police officer to sit there. Maybe it's just me but when I don't have a radar detector I feel the safest to haul ass right after I see a cop.


I agree the speed kills mentality is off some, my cars will perform better at 75 mph than most at 60-65, and almost all cars now days are capable of performing better than the current speed limit that was set years ago..


It almost always is and will almost always be that way.. however, sometimes power comes into the equation..

Dana :tu: Money and power seem to go hand in hand.

[L8 APEX]

The problem is the morons speeding. Most modern cars have 300+ hp, great tires and great brakes, tire technology etc. This is like putting your average Joe in a stock car and turning them loose. Idiots are abusing the advances in technology and cutting cars in half on phone poles, driving without any lights in bad weather. Drivers think they are pro's just because the computer in the car is saving their butt. Real drivers are few and far between these days. Active handling, 4 wheel disc brakes. and sticky tires are extending a lot..

[PUMP]

The problem is the morons speeding. Most modern cars have 300+ hp, great tires and great brakes, tire technology etc. This is like putting your average Joe in a stock car and turning them loose. Idiots are abusing the advances in technology and cutting cars in half on phone poles, driving without any lights in bad weather. Drivers think they are pro's just because the computer in the car is saving their butt. Real drivers are few and far between these days. Active handling, 4 wheel disc brakes. and sticky tires are extending a lot..
We need to get back to the old days when Darwinism did its magic... and foil hats really worked.:tex

[L8 APEX]

We have dummy proofed society so well. That their population is way out of control. It is threatening all of our futures.:tex

[dboat]

We have dummy proofed society so well. That their population is way out of control. It is threatening all of our futures.:tex

I agree, I liked the metal car dash we had in our old cars, no seatbelts, kids could ride and play in the back of moving trucks and vehicles.. those were the days, look at the group that it produced, good hard working folks that know how to write a sentence and do basic math.. plus a whole lot more..

Dana

[PUMP]

I agree, I liked the metal car dash we had in our old cars, no seatbelts, kids could ride and play in the back of moving trucks and vehicles.. those were the days, look at the group that it produced, good hard working folks that know how to write a sentence and do basic math.. plus a whole lot more..

Dana
Right on.:tu: The ones that survived childhood were well seasoned.

[Sonicblue03]

The problem is the morons speeding. Most modern cars have 300+ hp, great tires and great brakes, tire technology etc. This is like putting your average Joe in a stock car and turning them loose. Idiots are abusing the advances in technology and cutting cars in half on phone poles, driving without any lights in bad weather. Drivers think they are pro's just because the computer in the car is saving their butt. Real drivers are few and far between these days. Active handling, 4 wheel disc brakes. and sticky tires are extending a lot..


Good thing we have some Pro's with Lightnings!!! I would hate to see a moron drive through a toll both at 105mph...:eek: .........:D

[Ohmsby]

Lightnings do very well in high speed crashes :twitch:

[L8 APEX]

Good thing we have some Pro's with Lightnings!!! I would hate to see a moron drive through a toll both at 105mph...:eek: .........:D
You can't imagine half the things I have done with a machine. That is very tame and lame, I do the same in my F250 hauling a trailer watching Family Guy on the TV.
Now my motorcycle days of white lining it between cars over 160mph at night. That was a little more intersting:evil...

[Sonicblue03]

You can't imagine half the things I have done with a machine. That is very tame and lame, I do the same in my F250 hauling a trailer watching Family Guy on the TV.
Now my motorcycle days of white lining it between cars over 160mph at night. That was a little more intersting:evil...


:bows