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March 22, 2014· santaclarita.com · SantaClarita.com (SCVTalk 5.0) · Wayback capture

Area Man Gives Yellow Light to City's Red Light Cameras

By Mike Devlin

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The red light cameras that police intersections throughout the SCV are operated, at considerable cost to the city, by a company called Redflex. The city makes a few bucks and certain kinds of accidents have been reduced since we've had these cameras. But the whole scheme is paid for overwhelmingly by drivers making left turns less than a second after the light turns red – a very minor hazzard compared to the draconian fines ticketed drivers face (I've never got one, in case you're wondering). On top of that, the timing of some yellow lights is based on old science that didn't anticipate the high volume turn pockets we see in Santa Clarita.

In other words, people who just barely run a red light – perceptible sometimes to only our robocops – are receiving fines that were based a more serious offense. Right now the city makes about $90,000 per year from the program, from $675,000 in tickets. But if they were to ticket only those drivers who missed the red by more than a split second, the program would fall deeply in the red. 

The five-year contract with Redflex expires in ten days and it was set for a quiet renewal. That was until longtime friend of SCVTalk Jim Farley (of BBQ oak fame) saw the clock running down and started asking questions. He spoke before the CIty Council a few weeks back and the Council agreed to reconsider the contract. This Tuesday, the Council will vote on whether and how to proceed with the Redflex contract. 

Jim's already scored a minor victory, because the staff is now recommending a month-to-month renewal and it's started to experiment with longer yellow lights at some intersections. But the fight is far from over. Jim, along with Jay Beeber of Safer Streets LA, put together an epic open letter to the City Council urging them to take a long, hard look at our red light camera program at a time when so many cities have cancelled theirs. 

Here's their letter. If it doesn't load below, click on this link for the full PDF or you can read a somewhat condensed version at SCVnews here.

 
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Photo credit: Robert Course-Baker under a Creative Commons license


Comments (7)

  1. James FarleySaturday, March 22nd, 2014 at 11:10 am
    Very well stated Mike! Thank You - Jim
  2. LindaSSaturday, March 22nd, 2014 at 12:50 pm
    Interesting read. Only thing that's iffy to me is the left-turn dilemma zone which is based at 50MPH. No one is travelling at 50 MPH in the left-lane. Most people are starting from a stop in the left-lane or if they are in the back of the queue of a green phase they are travelling at about 25-30 MPH. I would assume this would shrink the dilemma zone or eliminate it entirely. There is simply too much traffic.
  3. James FarleySaturday, March 22nd, 2014 at 1:56 pm
    Linda, actually many enter our long left turn pockets at the legal speed limit of 50 (or at an even higher speed). It is not uncommon to enter at this speed and find the lanes ahead clear as well. It must be kept in mind that the number of folks getting tickets is a very small percentage of the numbers who go through these intersections every day. The vast majority will not get their yellow while in the zone and will stop or proceed without consequence. It is true that the dilemma zone will shrink as the speed of the approaching driver decreases. The fact is, the zone exists for enough drivers that we see the results in the chart above.
  4. HenryJenningsSaturday, March 22nd, 2014 at 2:19 pm
    Protip: If you think you're gonna get snapped, flip your visor down to cover your face from the cameras. I turn left onto McBean from Valencia almost every day -- and quite often, I'm behind some dingbat who doesn't make the turn in a timely enough fashion for me to avoid gettnig caught in the intersection after the yellow. No tickets so far. But thanks for doing this, Mr. Farley.
  5. Lori RivasSaturday, March 22nd, 2014 at 6:10 pm
    Bravo, Jim. Bravo.
  6. KevitivitySaturday, March 22nd, 2014 at 9:16 pm
    I got a"snitch ticket" from one of our Redflex cameras two years ago and I just trashed it. They are completely unenforceable. Highwayrobbery.net has all the details for those interested.
  7. James C. WalkerTuesday, March 25th, 2014 at 6:56 pm
    With luck, Santa Clarita will "see the light" and end the red light camera program which damages the local economy by about $13,000,000 a year. And this will be another city that cancels a contract with Redflex, the camera company with far too many scandals revealed. Some 62 California communities have voted to end cameras or ban them before starting. Hopefully, Santa Clarita will become #63. Anaheim, Bell Gardens, Belmont, Berkeley, Burlingame, City of Orange, Compton, Corona, Costa Mesa, Cupertino, East LA, El Cajon, El Monte, Emeryville, Escondido, Fairfield, Fresno, Fullerton, Gardena, Glendale, Grand Terrace, Hayward, Indian Wells, Inglewood, Irvine, LA County, Laguna Niguel, Lancaster, Loma Linda, Long Beach, City of Los Angeles, Maywood, Montclair, Moreno Valley, Murrieta, Newport Beach, Paramount, Pasadena, Poway, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Redwood City, Rocklin, Roseville, Rowland Heights, San Bernardino, San Carlos, San Diego, San Juan Capistrano, San Rafael, Santa Ana, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa, South Gate, South Whittier, Union City, Upland, Westminster, Whittier, Yuba City, Yucaipa. James C. Walker, Life Member-National Motorists Association

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