Here is the information I posted:
Date Submitted: 6/26/2010 7:56:54 PM
Subject: Traffic violations
Service Address:
Request: In response to the traffic citation I received for $529 for a right turn on red. I am organizing a boycott on the City of Glendale until the red light cameras are removed and the City finds a more just way to deal with traffic violations.
Facebook now has a page and I've started a blog.
I' m looking into this matter and after one day, I have discovered I' m not the only citizen that is angry and feels violated. As a consumer I will not shop in Glendale and I will let the local businesses know.
Requested Resolution: Remove all Red Light Cameras, stop dealing with Arizona based company, Redflex and remove my ticket.
Shame on you Glendale. Your contract with Redflex isn' t even legal.
And here is their response:
Thank you for contacting the City of Glendale with your concern. The City of Glendale and the Glendale Police Department have a longstanding tradition of proactive efforts to improve traffic safety. Over the years the City focused its efforts on education, enforcement, and engineering changes all designed to reduce the number of people injured and the total number of traffic collisions. Over the past four years, in addition to its involvement in the education and engineering efforts, the Police Department has shifted to a data/intelligence driven model for its traffic enforcement efforts and has sought ways to increase the effectiveness of its existing resources.
In 2007, the City Council authorized a pilot project for the use of photo red light enforcement, and Redflex was selected as the vendor after an evaluation process. The project became operational in April of 2008 and ultimately expanded to cover several intersection approaches. The enforcement systems are located at Glendale/Broadway, Pacific/Colorado, Mountain/Verdugo, and Los Feliz/San Fernando (2 approaches). The intersections were selected based upon accident history, traffic volumes, field observations, and the difficulty of providing traditional enforcement at the particular intersections.
An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study found that compared with all other types of urban crashes, those involving signal violations are the most likely to cause injuries. This same study found that running red lights and other traffic controls is the most common cause of urban crashes.
Local governments lack sufficient resources to adequately enforce traffic signal laws without photo red light enforcement. The most obvious problem is that police officers cannot be everywhere at once. It is simply impossible for officers to continuously monitor an intersection with the uninterrupted focus of a photo red light camera. Another important consideration is the potential danger associated with police officers following red light runners through heavily congested intersections. The pursuit of red light runners can pose a serious risk for motorists, pedestrians, and police officers. Many cities in the area, including the Cities of Los Angeles, Pasadena, Arcadia, and Montebello, have also installed red light cameras to help enforce red light violations.
Each violation is reviewed by a specially trained Glendale Police Officer from the Traffic Bureau prior to a citation being issued. The officer confirms the elements of the violation, confirms the plate is readable, the driver is identifiable, and the officer must actively affirm that the citation is to be issued. The City's vendor may NOT proceed on any violation without the direct authorization of one of these police officers. If a defendant pleads not guilty to the violation, one of these officers will be summoned to the court trial to prove the elements of the violation, just like any other citation that would be issued in the field. The officer will bring photos and video of the violation to the court for viewing by the defendant and the judge.
Any questions regarding this program can be directed to the Glendale Police Department’s traffic office at (818) 548-2845, or at the Traffic Office, on the 1st floor of the Police Department, located at 131 N. Isabel St.
Best regards,
Christine Baboomian
Administrative Associate
Management Services
City of Glendale
(818) 548-4844
If you need additional information about this request, please contact Neighborhood Services Division, (818) 548-3700. We are proud to be of service to you.
There are a few things I have to say about this email.
1) I'm not surprised that they would hide behind their excuse of looking out for public safety. I'm sure they hired "specialists" to tell them that these cameras were to be installed with that idea in mind. The National Motorists Association posted 5 different studies showing that this wasn't the case.
http://blog.motorists.org/red-light-cameras-increase-accidents-5-studies-that-prove-it/
2) There was no response to my statement about Boycotting Glendale. I can see I'm going to have to tell them again. I've survived a whole week without Glendale. I'm sure you can too!
3) There is no mention of why the citation costs so much and how they came up with that figure. I do not see how the punishment fits the "crime". Had an officer pulled me over (but, no, he would be endangering himself and everyone on the road) the fine would had been @$149 with no point on my record. For that amount of money I would have paid and gone away.
4) I liked the subtle intimidation tactic Ms. Baboomian uses in mentioning the police department. They are "specially trained." (Like the officer went to picture reading school or something.) The officer is summoned to "prove" that I made the violation. This is, of course, after I've paid the fine. I wonder how long they reap the interest gaining benefits of the fine before I get it back. I find so much of this practice to be a subtle form of bullying. Get a pack of authorities and gang up on a citizen.
5) There is no mention about the legality of their contract with Redflex. Nor is there a response about the supposed boycott of the State of Arizona. If you are going boycott something, you should at least commit 100%. I'm boycotting Glendale. That doesn't mean I make an exception for The Americana.
I knew this issue wouldn't be solved with just one email. But it was interesting to read the prefabricated response they are putting out. And it was mostly interesting concerning what they did not answer.
This is a multi-faceted undertaking that will take some time. Next stop is the Chamber of Commerce, I think.
Here's a comment from Sam Park via Facebook.
ReplyDeleteTracy,
Your detailed tracking of this issue and problem and how you have documented and discussed it so intelligently in this blog leaves me in awe. I'm not buying anything in Glendale because I do NOT wish to support a city that unjustly takes revenue over what is nothing but an electronic "traffic trap." I used to love Glendale for its small town feel. What is it with this Big Brother enforcement of a city ordinance obviously created to generate revenue. And that is the real rub here.
Furthermore what is with NOT being able to make a right turn on a stop light? You stop at the light. You do NOT enter the green-lighted traffic. You look for pedestrians in the crosswalk. If none are there you make a right turn. This has been a legal option in California (and Missouri where I grew up) forever (Woody Allen even makes a joke about it in his film, "Annie Hall", citing it as the most intelligent thing about California).
Added to this is your photograph documenting how the traffic sign is obscured by the tree! If the city of Glendale is going to enforce using a camera for this dubious law then it is their responsibility to at least trim the trees obscuring the signs stating they are going to fine you for such self-serving reasons. The evidence suggests the city of Glendale as being less than being civic-minded because they can pay for this expensive sensor camera and yet can not find the few dollars to trim a tree hiding the sign!
Keep at this as it is the right thing to do and I hope more join to support your efforts.