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Red Light Cameras  (NYC)  Draft Notes
A Mediaeater Inc.  Report.   Ver:  0.9

This is a *** working document ***

Corrections and Information to be CONFIRMED
Revised:  Saturday, November 24, 2001 - 8:23:34 AM
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Overview:

In selective areas, red light monitoring cameras are installed to 
enforce steady red signal laws. In some of these referenced areas 
traffic accidents actually increased as a result of these cameras.  

The complete assembly is usually mounted on a metal pole with 
a rectangular gray / green box that houses the lens and a powerful 
flash unit.

When, a vehicle enters the intersection on steady red phase signals, 
a sensor located in the roadway triggers the camera unit and two to 
three images are instantly taken. In a few weeks a traffic summons is 
mailed to the registered owner of the said vehicle. 


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Q: What is the Red Light Camera Program?

  A: The Red Light Camera Program uses technology that enables
  us to automatically take high-resolution photographs of vehicles
  that go through red lights, including close-ups of the license
  plates. Summonses are issued to the owners of the vehicles, as
  with parking violations. The photos are included with the
  summonses. New York City DOT had the first full-time red light
  photographic enforcement program in the United States. We
  were the first jurisdiction to send photos to respondents as part
  of the summons.

Source: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 
http://NYC.gov/html/dot/html/faq/faqs.html


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New York City Red-Light Camera Monitoring Program
CUSTOMER: City of New York / EDS Federal Corporation -- 
CONTRACT AMOUNT: $31,000,000
Ongoing through May, 15th 2001 -Automated Enforcement.


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Tri- State Area Locations of Red Light Cameras


Manhattan:

Houston St and West St S/B 
E. 42st and 2nd Ave S/B 
E. 72st and 3rd Ave N/B 
W. 72st and Amsterdam Ave N/B 
Broadway @ 60th Street
Northern BLVD at 114th street (entrance to van wyck)


Bronx:
Pelham Parkway (by the horse stables)


Brooklyn: 
4th Avenue @ 41st Street 
Ocean Parkway @ Prospective Expressway
Ocean Parkway @ Church Avenue


Queens: 
Queens Boulevard @ 71st Avenue
Astoria Boulevard @ 108th Street 


Staten Island:
Richmond Avenue @ Travis Avenue 
Victory Boulevard @ Morani Street


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City, Fed. and State Info: 

Santa Monica PD  Red Light Camera FAQ
Red Light Photo Enforcement Program
Montgomery County Department of Public Works 
dot gov


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Red Light Camera Systems:

ATD Northwest
 American Traffic Systems (ATS)
 Driver Safety Systems, Ltd. (DSS)
 Electronic Data Systems (EDS) 
Econolite 
Gatsometer
Peek	
RedFlex
Science Applications International Corporation. 
SAIC-Syntonic 
 Camera Technology


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Legal and Legislative: 


Model Red Light Camera Law 
 Red Light Camera Defense Team (pdf)
Status of legislation for red light cameras across the Nation (August 2000)
Red Light Camera Self Defense Page
Electronic Enforcement of Traffic Laws: Automotive Freedom & Privacy
San Diego (case news stories) ROGER’S RED LIGHT “SCAMERA” SELF DEFENSE PAGE http://www.rogerhedgecock.com/redlight/current.shtml http://www.bardsleyandcarlos.com/prltd.htm SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO In re: Red Light Camera Cases The People of the State of California, Plaintiff, v. John Allen, et al., Defendants. In re: Red Light Camera Cases CASE NO. 579275D ORDER EXCLUDING EVIDENCE Plaintiff, The People of the State of California, V.John Allen, et al., Defendants. The prosecution's arguments have not persuaded the Court to change its ruling. The prosecution relies on People v. Adams (1976)59 Cal.App.3d 559 and the cases following it for the proposition that failure to follow the statute only goes to the weight of the evidence and not to its inadmissibility. As pointed out in People v. Williams (2001) 89 Cal.App.4th 85 at 100, Adams and its progeny were crafted to address anomalies or occasional errors and innocent lapses in law enforcement. They were not meant to provide a means for peace officers and their agencies to ignore clear, easy-to-apply statutory law and administrative rules, for any reason, including budget or personnel constraints. In this case, the failure of the city to operate the system as required by the legislature, combined with the contingent fee paid to Lockheed Martin goes far beyond Adams or any of the cases which follow Adams. The Court sees no difference between a contingent fee to a private corporation and a contingent fee paid to an individual. Therefore, the Court's ruling will stand. The evidence from the red light cameras will not be admitted. IT IS SO ORDERED. DATED; September 4, 2001 Ronald L. Styn Judge of the Superior Court ======================== It’s Official: Red Light Running Rampant Eight years after approval of NYC’s pilot red-light camera program, only a few of the devices are in use — 32 cameras sprinkled among 11,000 traffic lights.In Washington, San Diego and Baltimore, the ratio of red light cameras to controlled intersections ranges from 22 to 33 per 1,000 intersections. Even with 18 additional cameras the city expects to install by the end of next month, NYC's ratio will equal just 4.5. Studies have found red-light cameras to be effective, reducing light running up to 40%. ========================= See: Red Light Cameras News Archive Assorted news items Motorists race to challenge red-light cameras Case Closed: No Safety Benefit to Red Light Cameras The Red Light Running Crisis Is it Intentional? Cams Capped - T.A. Magazine Article 4/00, p.10 Red Lights at High-Risk Intersections 5/2001 full report pdf ========================= Links PhotoCop.com/ Red Light Camera Number Plate Recognition ========================= Reproduce at will, All Rights Reversed. Copyleft MMI. A Mediaeater Inc. (PPP) Projects (for the) People Program