State Bill would Kill Red Light Cameras
Florida Lawmaker calls traffic cameras a "hidden tax." Palmetto Bay's plans to install red light cameras on hold pending legislation
A proposed state law might bring Palmetto Bay’s plans to install traffic cameras to a screeching halt.
Calling them “a hidden tax,” a Hernando County lawmaker
has filed a bill that would stop all Florida municipalities from installing and using red-light traffic cameras.
Many local governments are installing red light cameras to boost revenue in the face of falling property values, Republican state Rep. Robert Schenck said this week.
Palmetto Bay passed a resolution in 2009 to install cameras, but has yet to do so.
“While public safety is very important to me, I do not believe it is right for local governments to use cameras as a means to increase falling revenue under the guise of public safety,” Schenck said. “I believe this is nothing more than a hidden tax on my constituents and to the citizens of the state of Florida.”
Schenck’s announcement comes just days after a Miami-Dade County judge ruled that Aventura overstepped state law when it used cameras to fine red light runners. The judge declared the use of cameras without having a police officer at the scene when the violations occur is invalid.
Currently 26 Florida cities use the technology.
Eye on Palmetto Bay has learned several communities with red light cameras plan to review their policies, as does Palmetto Bay.
When ask if the village plans to proceed with the traffic camera installation, Village Manager Ron Williams replied, “The project has been (put) on hold pending clarification of legal issues that have been winding thru (sp) the Courts, and possible action by the State Legislature.”
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While I too am concerned about increasing public safety whenever possible, we must NOT get on the slippery slope of doing so at the expense of decreased civil liberties or constitutional rights. If the technology utilized is of the less expensive variety which simply records the tag then issues the ticket to the registered owner of the vehicle, then I’m adamantly against it. Tickets should be issued to the drivers who committed the offense, NOT to owners of vehicles. If the driver cannot be positively identified, I have civil liberty issues with it. Even with using the much more expensive equipment which attempts to identify the driver still presents other constitutional issues regarding 5th amendment and others.
But first the discussion should be resolved with the intent of the installation. Is it “truly” a public safety concern backed up by traffic studies statistics for a particular installation or is it really just a “Alabama HP mirrored sunglasses speed trap revenue generator, please pay cash on the spot” disguised as a public safety concern. I would argue that many of the installations I’ve seen, the latter was the case.
Frankly, I’m unaware of too many high volume traffic intersections within Palmetto Bay that really warrant the “investment” of citizen’s village tax payer dollars to correct that would preempt other more worthy expenditures.
However I do recognize the perennial traffic nightmare during rush hour known as the intersection of 152nd Street and US 1. Even though that is a problem area, I don’t believe it is going to be solved with a band-aid approach such as a red light camera. That area has serious engineering and traffic flow problems.
One of the first things that needs to be changed is the blinking yellow light in front of the fire station. All the other stations I’m aware of in south dade have solid green “go” lights displayed. The blinking yellow lights are a DISTRACTION to drivers coming off of US1 in an area of too many things to have to watch for already. With driver distractions comes slower hesitant drivers. Slower drivers means fewer vehicles able to get thru the area per light change. Fewer vehicles per light change getting thru means traffic backup and congestion. The blinking yellow lights are hindering smooth traffic flow westbound causing the drivers to want to run the red light in the first place.
Just my humble opinion. Have a good day.