[Scan-DC] License Plate Readers

[Rick Hansen]

Sheldon, FB. I didn't know the average speed was being used.

In Illinois ordinary traffic monitoring cams are being used as source of revenue. On expressways near Chicago, the truckers are complaining of selective enforcement with ordinary traffic cameras. The truck's average speed is calculated and trucks alone are ticketed, avoiding an outcry from the public. 

A friend of mine was ticketed last year for an alleged rolling stop in Chicago, which she  vehemently denies, from a traffic cam. The cost to appeal is a day off work and a 5 hour round trip; you just grimace and pay. These programs must be profitable as they require full-time staff.

I can understand why a number of my neighbors do their best to patronize businesses outside of Montgomery, PG, and DC. I think I will join them ;)


On Jan 15, 2013, at 4:07 AM, Sheldon Daitch <SDAITCH at bbg.gov> wrote:

> "1)  In my opinion, this speed camera stuff is blatant revenue generation.  It _might_ have its place in school zones, high-pedestrian-traffic areas, or near senior communities, but anywhere else is ( ). "
> 
> I think it might depend on the triggering speed of the speed camera systems.  I've identified about 62 locations in the area I live which have fixed speed cameras, the vast majority of them are in the center median of the divided roads, and monitor the flow of traffic in both directions.  My experience is that none of them "flash" below 20 KPH above the speed limit.  Most of these cameras are located in 120 KPH speed zones, so it appears that traffic can flow up to roughly 85 MPH before getting a camera ticket.   Where does camera ticketing cross over from a traffic speed management tool to a revenue generating tool?
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> "Even electronic tolling can be used for stuff like that, or simply for issuing speeding citations (distance = rate x time, and if you get from one tolling station to another too soon, you get your green stamps in the mail - 7th grade math, or less)."
> 
> Many of the high speed stretches now are said to have speed camera systems which will trigger both on vehicle passing speed and average speed between camera locations (distance and time calculations).  
> 
> See:
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> http://www.bananaq8.com/cars/types-of-speed-cameras-in-kuwait-streets/
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> for a number of these camera systems.
> 
> I suspect the reason for going to the speed averaging is that too many drivers knew where the speed cameras are located (yep and I even have a list of the ones I've found) and would slow down to just below 140 KPH to pass the speed camera and then speed back up.  On the most heavily populated section of highway with the new speed cameras, the speed cameras are now about every 3-4 km.
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> 
> 73
> Sheldon
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