[KHTS] – The Santa Clarita City Council approved a one-year extension of the contract with RedFlex for red light cameras at seven traffic intersections throughout the city.
“This was put together for safety,” said Robert Newman, director of Public Works Department for the city of Santa Clarita, explaining the rationale for the move.
The approved recommended action, which passed with a 5-0 vote prompting humor from the dais, came near the end of a more than six-hour meeting Tuesday.
The contract was set to expire April 1 and renewed on a month-by-month basis for the next year by City Council members.
“This will allow staff to conduct an evaluation of yellow-light timing at selected intersections, potential impact of any new yellow-light timing standards at the state level, yellow-light timing effect on driver behavior, red-light violation rates, revenue changes, and effect on intersection operation, coordination and traffic flow,” according to staff reports.
Santa Clarita staffers are expected to report findings within 12 months, to determine if the cameras are effective in the city’s goal, improving and enhancing road safety, officials said.
In December 2008, the City Council approved a five-year contract renewal and authorized the city manager to execute up to two two-year options.
During their Feb. 5 meeting, City Council directed the City Manager to bring the contract renewal before the City Council.
The 5-0 vote came after a lenghty and, at times, heated discussion over billboards.
As it was City Councilman Frank Ferry’s last meeting, and he has had several protracted, public disagreements with Councilman TimBen Boydston, the unanimity brought Boydston to point out, “See? I don’t think everything you do is wrong,” which prompted a smile from Ferry.
Ferry’s seat is up for election April 8, and last year, he announced he would not seek a fifth term.
The cameras started operation in July 2004 at the intersections of Soledad Canyon Road/Whites Canyon Road, Bouquet Canyon Road/Seco Canyon Road, McBean Parkway/Magic Mountain Parkway, McBean Parkway/Newhall Ranch Road, and Lyons Avenue/Orchard Village Road. The program was expanded in August 2006 to include two additional intersections at Valencia Boulevard/McBean Parkway and Bouquet Canyon Road/Newhall Ranch Road.
There are approximately 550 red-light violations per month at the seven red-light camera intersections.
The city of Santa Clarita provided the following breakdown of costs and expenditures for red light cameras:
Redflex Services $467,147
Redflex Camera Data Communications $ 8,975
Attorney Costs/Accurint (Records Search Service) $ 11,074
Sheriff Personnel: Processing/Court Appearances$ 95,041
Average Yearly Expenditure for Program $582,237
Average Yearly Revenue $674,790
Average Yearly Net Revenue $ 92,553
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30 Comments
This is a complete waste of tax dollars.
This is a complete waste of tax dollars.
The city’s gotta get that sweet, easy money somehow.
The city’s gotta get that sweet, easy money somehow.
Most all the monies goes to the company that owns and maintains the cameras. And Safety? I’ve seen more near accidents and collisions from people slamming on their brakes or speeding through a yellow light for fear of being on Candid Camera.
looks like a lot more “revenuing” happening “on the other side of the tracks” from Canyon Country 8-)
looks like a lot more “revenuing” happening “on the other side of the tracks” from Canyon Country 8-)
“This was put together for safety,” said Robert Newman
But they’re NOT safer! They cause people to try to speed through a yellow light or slam the brakes hard on a yellow light!
“This was put together for safety,” said Robert Newman
But they’re NOT safer! They cause people to try to speed through a yellow light or slam the brakes hard on a yellow light!
B-S
B-S
And the idiocy continues.
And the idiocy continues.
Which is BS since you don’t have to pay the fine.
Which is BS since you don’t have to pay the fine.
GOD BLESS
If safety was the issue how about they start by repaving the roads that are falling apart?
In LA CITY you don’t have to pay the fine. In LA COUNTY you do.
Andrea Kkolis ugh I think I might have a ticket coming after all…yikes! !!
Do some research. You don’t have to pay those fines.
People run red lights at these same as other intersections. Ive yet to see any difference.
How about the one on Bouquet and Newhall Ranch Rd that goes off for no reason while cars have full green lights? I’ve been sitting there waiting to turn right on NHR while cars are in the middle of their sequence and have seen the cameras randomly go off….
I thought I was the only one seeing that.
Hey- there are incumbents running, guess who WONT get my vote. that is a quick and easy way to let them know
There is so much more to this story. It was at the February 11th meeting that I requested the council to take the decision back. Had they not done so the city manager was poised to renew the contract and likely would have done so for 2 years starting April 1. We are now in a much better position as a city. We can get out of the contract on a month by month basis with no penalty now. See my comentary on this site for the real crux of this issue. While the city staff generally still feels 3.5 seconds is correct for left turn arrows, at least one intersection is now being tested. I have asked staff if there are plans to test more intersections and have been assured that will happen. I have asked the council to put a moratorium on fining all violators within 1.5 seconds of th red arrow on lefts while the test is ongoing and have had no response. It must be noted that for the first time, starting around November the city is losing money on the program. As more intersections are tested with a longer yellow arrow they are likely to lose more money. The city will either need to subsidize the program, or renegotiate a substantially lower monthly fee from Redflex. The bottom line is they must stop targeting the left turners who are tenths of a second into the red through no fault of their own.
Thank you for keeping those red lights going on for another year. The intersection of Lyons and Orchard Village has changed dramatically since the cameras were installed. Accidents occurred there almost daily. Not to mention that this is a heavily traveled pedestrian intersection as well. You shouldn’t receive a ticket if the camera malfunctions. Your defense is in the photo.
I thought la county had voted those out???
No, it was put together to generate revenue… safety has nothing to do with it.
What a waiste.
Has anyone bothered to look at the chart in the article ?
In intersections with cameras, rear end collisions have INCREASED 13%, meaning that people are slamming on their brakes a at the last second a lot more. Admittedly, other types of collisions have decreased, but this has come at the expense of more people getting rear-ended, which is a particularly injurious type of collision to both property and people. There are ways to accomplish collision reduction at intersections without trading one type of collision for another, which is what is happening here.
The only people making any money from this are the city (not much money) and Redflex, the camera maker/maintainer (much MORE money). In the next election, vote OUT the clowns that contracted with Redflex yet again.
You do NOT have to pay these tickets, but in order to avoid paying them, you need to simply IGNORE them. There will be no consequences at all.