Canton Red Light Cameras

People of Canton, Ohio, you have made your voices heard.  It appears that Mayor Healy wants to be reelected next time he runs, so he is pulling the red light camera and speed camera plans “for now.”  Mayor Healy blames it on the fact that “Council is not on board.”  Mayor Healy should have stuck to his guns.  He should have asked for a vote on Monday, so Council could be on the record as being against the issue of red light cameras.  Mr. Healy chickened out.  I wonder if any Redflex goons will be golfing in his next golf outing.  We will see how long until the issue comes back, but we can relax for now.  For more information see the Canton Repository article.

I would like to thank Nick of www.SexCpotatoes.com/blog for helping to get the word out.  His blog has had some very good information on it, please pay him a visit and thank him for his hard work.  I would also like to thank the folks at www.myrosscounty.com for some GREAT information, including the recordings of short yellow lights and sham hearings.  

Now that the Canton Ohio red light cameras and speed cameras are dead, we can turn our focus to the proposed speed cameras in construction zones that were included in Ohio HB2.  I have written my state senator, urging him to vote against these automatic traffic ticketing devices.

Ward 3 Councilman James Griffin will be holding a community meeting tonight, March 17, 2009 at 7:30 PM to discuss Canton’s red light camera and speed camera proposal.  Questions will be “answered” by City officials for residents who have questions about these traffic enforcement systems.  The meeting will be held at the Westminster Community Church, 171 Aultman Ave NW.  

If you would like to reach Councilman Griffin, you may call the council clerk’s office at (330)489-3223.

I think this is going to be more of the same high pressure sales tactics we have see from the City. Any answers to questions from City officials will be Redflex propaganda.  Mr. Griffin has been flip-flopping on the issue since he found out what a political hot potato it is. Mr. Griffin voted initially with all but one council member to allow the City to enter into an agreement with Redflex.  Mr Griffin then was quoted two different times in the Repository has “having reservations” and he said of his constituents “they just don’t want it.”  I am sure that this meeting will be a way to tell us that we really do want red light cameras, but we are just not smart enough to realize it.  

I hope that Mr. Griffin hears a lot from angry residents at this meeting.  I would love to go to it, but my work schedule will not allow it.  Maybe SexCPotatoes will be there, if he is, he will write about it.

Red light cameras, speed cameras, delaying the vote on the legislation to allow these red light and speed cameras, it all sounds simple enough.  At the city council meeting last night in Canton, Ohio, some of the motivation was revealed for Mayor Healy pushing so hard for Redflex to be allowed to install their red light cameras and speed cameras to ticket canton residents for profit.  

At the meeting last night, Canton City Council president Allen Schulman questioned Mayor Healy about two associates of Redflex that contributed to his campaign.  The two Redflex associates purchased tickets to Healy’s golf outing, each contributing $125.00.  Mayor Healy says there is nothing wrong with this, and that he knew that each was a Redflex associate.  

I have a few serious questions that need answered.  If Redflex sent two of their associates to Healy’s golf outing and everything is above board, why did Rice (a Redflex associate) feel the need to lie about his occupation and list “self employed” when he registered online?  What other contributions were promised if Redflex is successful in pushing its red light camera and speed camera systems onto the residents of Canton, Ohio.  

Mayor Healy says that the Council president is the one who looks bad after last night’s meeting.  I have to disagree with you Mr. Mayor.  The Council president is not the one who asked for a vote to be delayed so that he could try to buy time to ask for political favors when it was looking bad for a political contributor of his.  Mr. Mayor, give up on the red light cameras and speed cameras before you completely ruin your political career.  Do you really want your legacy to be these red light cameras and speed cameras?   You know that it is easy to have residents sign recall petitions at the same time they are signing petitions to let the voters decide the fate of red light cameras.  Nobody is saying the contributions are illegal, but they certainly explain why the mayor is so insistent that these red light cameras be installed.

Read the Canton Repository Story Here

Senior Citizens of Canton, City Council is planning on taking more of your money if they move forward with plans to install red light cameras for ‘traffic enforcement.’  City Council know that it is political suicide to say so, but that is exactly what red light cameras do.

The ‘average’ driver driving an average car at 35 MPH requires 2.57 seconds from the time the brakes are applied until they stop.  Add to this the time it takes to perceive that a green light has changed to yellow, and then the time to react.  Studies have shown that it takes 1 second for the ‘average’ person to perceive the yellow light and as much as another second for the ‘average’ person to react.  We will use 1 second for perception and reaction times combined, as the Traffic Engineering Manual does.  If the ‘average’ driver requires one second to react, and they are traveling on a 35 MPH road, they require a minimum yellow light time of 3.57 seconds.  I have been traveling around Canton for most of my life, and I seldom see yellow lights this long.  These numbers are for ‘average’ drivers.  These numbers were calculated using 20 FPSPS deceleration rate, which is faster than the Traffic Engineering Manual calls for, but I am demonstrating a bare minimum possible without loss of control.  The yellow lights in Canton are already too short at some intersections for this.

I have shown you the numbers for the ‘average’ driver.  Studies show that elderly drivers can take 40% longer to stop, due in part to longer perception times.  If the ‘average’ driver needs 3.57 seconds, an elderly driver can require a five second yellow light to stop in time to keep from getting a red light camera ticket.  This calculation does not take into account the clearing of the far side of the intersection.  This is just how long it can take a senior citizen to stop before the stop line from when the light changes to yellow. Add to this the 1 second extra yellow time REQUIRED by Ohio law if the intersection has a red light camera installed.  Do you really think that Canton will have a six second yellow at any intersection?  The answer is “No.”  They will set the yellow to bare minimum or even less.  Senior Citizens will be the ones suffering the most when these red light cameras are installed. 

There have been some senior citizens in cities that have red light cameras involved in crashes because they stop at a stale green light, scared of a red light camera ticket.  Senior Citizens are at risk of rear ending a car that stops suddenly when a light changes to yellow.  Senior Citizens are at higher risk for injuries when they are involved in crashes, so these red light cameras are endangering the lives of senior citizens.

All residents of Canton need to contact their City Council member and voice their opposition to these red light cameras in Canton Ohio.  City business owners will suffer, you need to contact your council members.  Why would I risk a red light camera ticket to do business in Canton, then have to pay for parking and put up with panhandlers when I can drive to Belden Village and park for free, not have cameras ticketing me and I have never been hit up for money in the Belden Village area.  If I do not feel like going to Belden Village, I can drive to New Philadelphia, where people are walking outside in downtown at 9:00 PM without any fear of being robbed, mugged, or having their cars broken into.  The way I see it is these red light cameras will only contribute to the decline of the City of Canton.

For some great information, see Stopping Distance Website.

Canton City Council agreed to table the proposed legislation until March 23, 2009.  Council did so at the request of the mayor.  Mayor Healy said that he was going to “make adjustments” to the legislation to make it “more palatable for people.”  

Many people attended the meeting and were disappointed to find out that there would be no vote on the issue.  I hope that all of those people, and more, attend the meeting on March 23.  We cannot let these red light cameras and speed cameras be installed.

The changes the mayor wants to include are cosmetic, designed to make people think that the cameras are actually doing good.  Who would be against funding for community patrols and bicycle cops?  The mayor says that there may be a cap on the number of red light cameras and speed cameras in the City.  

Credit must be given to councilwoman Mary Cirelli, D-at large, she opposed tabling the measure, as many people had attended the meeting for the vote, some taking the day off work.  

The bonehead of the day award goes to Council Majority Leader Donald Casar, D-at large, who said he  supports the cameras. “Why are the people so upset?,” he said after the meeting. “If you obey the law, you don’t go through red lights, you don’t speed — what’s the problem?”  Well Mr Casar, the problem comes when people like you in city after city install the red light cameras and speed cameras, shorten yellow lights, cause an increase in collisions (746% increase in collisions in Chillicothe within 100 feet of red light camera intersections), and Redflex breaking countless laws in city after city.  Redflex recently admitted streaming 24 hour video and having the ability to track movements of individuals based on the cars passing through several cameras that are streaming video.  You see, councilman, if I am not speeding, and I do not run a red light (after you shorten the yellow light to try to make me run the red), I will still be just as dead when the guy behind me slams into my motorcycle because I had to brake hard to stop in time to not get a red light camera ticket.  Again, the system in Chillicothe led to a 746% INCREASE in collisions within 100 feet of red light camera intersections (this is the approach, where people brake hard to keep from getting a ticket).  Reflex will tell you that there is no, or next to no increase, but that is because if the car does not come to rest in the middle of the intersection, they do not count it.  People are braking hard in the approach to the intersection, not after they have already entered it.  Mr. Casar, this is what I have to worry about, you putting me at risk, then if I am forced to run a red light, knowing the guy behind me cannot stop, knowing that I will be killed if my motorcycle stops faster than his 18 wheeler, you deny me my due process rights at your “administrative hearing.”  You shift the burden of proof from the City to the accused.  This, Mr. Casar, is more to worry about.

To all of City Council, vote how your constituents feel.  Most people, when informed, are opposed to these cameras.  You have been hearing that, you said so at the last meeting.  Any people that vote for these cameras will not stand much of a chance of being reelected.  If these cameras are installed, there will be petitions circulated to remove them.  While these petitions are being circulated, there may be petitions circulated to recall council members who vote for these cameras.

Good Citizens of Canton, you read the headline right.  With Canton’s plans to install red light cameras coming up for a vote, it is important that you call your councilman and voice your opposition to these devices.  Not only do these red light cameras and speed cameras rob you of your money, but also your constitutional rights.

The people of Arizona did not fight the red light cameras and speed cameras initially, as they were only going to issue civil fines.  No points would be issued and the violation would not show on a person’s driving record.  Does this sound familiar?  It should, it is the same thing that Redflex and the City of Canton are proposing.  People of Canton, you need to know something.  It turns out that the Attorney General of Arizona now wants people JAILED for red light camera tickets and speed camera tickets.  Get a ticket for doing 46 in a 25 by a speed camera and look out.  Your are guilty until proven innocent as in the Chillicothe Recording (if you listen to this, the hearing officer states that the burden of proof is on the appellant, or accused).  If Canton allows these cameras, it is only a matter of time until they start giving points on your license, and maybe the threat of jail time for a red light camera ticket or speed ticket.

Politicians and Redflex promise that the cameras will only hand out tickets resulting in fines, no points, and no threat of criminal action.  Once they get the cameras installed, they begin taping 24 hours a day, keeping track of movements of motorists, and then threatening jail for a simple ticket generated by a machine.  With the violations of Constitutional rights that have been documented by Redflex and the cities who invite the Trojan Horse of red light cameras in, I want no part of this.  I have made my voice heard.  I hope that you will contact your Council member and tell them to vote no on red light camera tickets.  The vote is set to take place this Monday 3-9-09.  Show up and make your voice heard.  We do not want Redflex and the fraud and organized crime they bring.

While browsing the web looking for information on Redflex and their red light cameras, I came upon an interesting page dealing with an illegally short yellow light and a hearing over a red light ticket.  In the audio recording, you can hear these supposedly educated people (the hearing officer and the prosecutor, or equivalent) have trouble with something as simple as timing a yellow light accurately.  This was all for show so that they did not have to admit that the City shortened their yellow light to a time so short that it violates Ohio law.

The website also has the same video that the hearing officer and the prosecutor (or whatever she is known as in a administrative hearing) have trouble determining is less than four seconds.  The yellow light, in fact, was shortened to UNDER THREE SECONDS.  Take a look at this website run by William “BigKid” of the MyRossCounty forum.  William’s website is here: Chillicothe Red Light Camera Hearing and Short Yellow Light.  

I had trouble viewing the page in Safari browser, but Firefox worked great, just a note to Mac users.

Take a look at William’s site.  He does a great job explaining why Redflex and cities that have red light cameras shorten yellow lights, putting lives in danger for a few extra dollars in tickets.  If a yellow light is short enough, it is guaranteed that people will run the light, resulting in more red light camera tickets.

After voting to enter into a contract with Redflex, it appears that Canton City Council may end up voting down the legislation that would put red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton, Ohio.  The city administration wants these cameras for revenue safety.  

During a finance committee meeting on Monday, there were four council members that said they would vote against red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton, Ohio.  These Canton City Council members cited strong opposition by residents in their districts as the reason for their decision.  Three more Canton City Council members stated after the meeting that they were either opposed to red light cameras or they were “leaning” against the installation of red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton.  

The sudden opposition to the red light cameras in Canton, Ohio comes just days before the legislation necessary to proceed with installation of red light cameras and speed cameras is to be voted on.  The vote on the new civil traffic code section is expected at the council meeting on Monday.  

The Canton City Council members who are planning to vote against Canton’s Red Light Cameras are: Jim Griffin, Democrat Ward 3, Joe Carbenia, Democrat Ward 9, Karl Butch, Democrat Ward 8, and Greg Hawk, Democrat Ward 1.  After the meeting, Greg Hawk, Democrat Ward 1 announced his plans to vote against the legislation that would allow red light camera installation in Canton, OH.  Patrick Barton, Democrat from Ward 7, and Bill Smuckler, Democrat at Large said they will vote against the red light camera and speed camera legislation.  Terry Prater, Ward 5 Democrat said that he will probably vote against the red light cameras.  

Several of the Canton City Council members said that their phones have been ringing off of the hooks with people upset over the proposed red light cameras.  Keep up the good work people.  Contact your council members and voice your opposition to photo enforcement.

I would urge Canton City Council members to all vote no to the Redflex red light cameras and speed cameras.  I would then urge the Canton City Council members to vote to lengthen yellow light times at dangerous intersections.  Longer yellow lights have been proven time and time again to reduce accident rates at intersections.  Longer yellow lights eliminate the dangerous dilemma zone where a driver cannot make a good choice when the light turns yellow.

I would like to thank the Canton City council members who are willing to vote against the red light cameras and speed cameras.  I have typically been a Republican, but I will give support on this website to anybody who stands up to Redflex and votes no to these red light cameras.

It looks like the red light camera kept these motorists safe.

I find it funny that when cities install red light cameras and the rate of accidents increase, we are told that they are “non-significant” rear end collisions.  It looks like this “non-significant” collision happened when the first car, probably in the dilemma zone where a motorist has no good choice as to what action to take, made a panic stop to keep from getting a red light camera ticket.  The second driver, knowing that the first was past the critical point, fully expected the first driver to proceed through the yellow light.  Had the first driver proceeded, he would have received a red light camera ticket.  

My guess is that nobody was hurt in this “non-significant” crash caused by a red light camera.  The reason that I think nobody was hurt is because we are told that red light cameras will keep us safe.  You see, the truth is that these red light cameras will not keep anybody safe.  These red light cameras will not apprehend a bad guy that robs a bank, they will not push a pedestrian out of the way of a speeding car, nor will they render life saving care after the crash that they cause. The only thing that a red light camera can do is take a photo of the crash when it does happen.

On another note, I have received a few emails from another guy in the Canton, Ohio area that is also against the plans to install red light cameras and speed cameras in Canton, Ohio.  Please visit his red light camera blog.  Be sure to read his “about me” page.  I get a kick out of how he chose his domain/username.

The update for today deals with an actual case study from Chillicothe, Ohio. The City of Chillicothe entered into a contract with Redflex to install red light cameras. The City played the same tricks as many other cities to try to increase ticket revenue with their new red light cameras system. The issue we will discuss now is shortened yellow lights at red light camera intersections.

From the Traffic Engineering Manual:

Substitute House Bill Number 30, passed by the 127th General Assembly, took effect September 12, 2008. This law imposes certain responsibilities on local authorities who choose to use traffic law photo monitoring devices. Section 201-14 addresses the local authority’s duties, which include assuring that the yellow change interval exceeds by 1 second the yellow change interval determined in accordance with Section 403-2.

You see that this is a law, not a recommendation or suggestion, or “best practice.”  To know what is required of this law, you need to know what is stated in Section 403-2, but you already know that if an intersection is monitored by a red light camera, it is REQUIRED to have a 1 second longer yellow light than would be required if no red light camera were installed.

Section 403-2 states:

The vehicle change interval (or phase change interval) described in OMUTCD Section 4D.10
consists of the yellow change interval and the all-red clearance interval. The exclusive function of the yellow change interval is to warn traffic of an impending change in the right-of-way assignment. For ODOT-maintained signals, the yellow change interval should be followed by a red clearance interval (all-red phase) of sufficient duration to permit traffic to clear the intersection before conflicting traffic movements are released. For more efficient operations, start-up time for the conflicting movements may be considered when setting the length of the all-red.

The length of the phase change interval can be determined using the following equation, in which
[(W+L)/ V] represents the all-red interval:

Y + AR = t + V/( 2a + 64.4g ) + [( W + L ) / V] (for English units)

Where: Y + AR = Sum of the yellow and all-red,

t = perception/reaction time of driver, ( typically assumed to be 1 second )

V = approach speed, ft/s (m/s)

a = deceleration rate, ft/s2 (m/s2)
(typically assumed to be 10 ft/s2 (3.0 m/s2))

W = width of intersection, ft (m)
(measured from the near side Stop Line to the far edge of the conflicting traffic lane, along the actual vehicular path)

L = length of vehicle, ft (m)
(typically assumed to be 20 feet (6.0 meters))

g = approach grade, percent of grade divided by 100 (plus for upgrade, minus for downgrade)

Yellow change intervals typically are in the range of three to six seconds, and the typical maximum all-red interval is two seconds.

Now, You see that the typical yellow light range is three to six seconds, and they are REQUIRED to add one second if a red light camera is installed at the intersection.  The City of Chillicothe would not respond to Public Information Act requests (made by BigKid of http://www.myrosscounty.com ) for the widths of intersections where they had shortened yellow lights, but you can see that the minimum yellow light duration for a photo enforced intersection should be four seconds.

The following figure, shows an intersection that has a properly set yellow light duration.  This diagram was crated by BigKid (W. Loucks).  You can see that a car traveling at the speed limit requires a certain amount of time from the light turning yellow to be able to stop in time for the intersection.  During that time, the car travels a certain distance.  The distance traveled by the car in that time can be measured back from the stop line and is can be called the critical point.  If the car is not yet past this critical point, it stops safely before the light turns yellow.  If the car is past the critical point, it should proceed through the yellow light, safely making it before the red light.

A legally set yellow light time allows for drivers to make a decision whether to proceed through the intersection or stop.

When a city reduces the yellow light time, as Chillicothe did at the red light camera intersection of Paint and Main, they create an artificial “critical point” in addition to the real “critical point.”  The artificially created critical point is closer to the intersection than the real critical point.  If you remember, once a car has passed the “critical point” it needs to proceed through the intersection when the light changes, as it cannot safely stop.  The problem with a shorter yellow light at red light camera intersections is that the light is STILL GREEN when the car passes the true critical point.  Since the car is past that point, it cannot possibly stop safely when the light does change to yellow, but since the yellow light is shorter than the law allows, it cannot proceed through the intersection either.  There is no good choice for a driver that has passed the true critical point, but not yet passed the artificial critical point.  This area between the two critical points has come to be known as the “Dilemma Zone.”  

In the Dilemma Zone, a driver has three choices to make, and none of them are safe.  The driver can proceed through the intersection at the speed limit, but if the driver makes that choice the light will be red prior to the driver’s arrival at the intersection resulting in a red light camera ticket.  The driver could “punch it” or speed up to beat the red light, thereby speeding through the intersection.  In this case the driver would not be running a red light, but would be speeding and also runs the risk of a ticket.  The third choice, and one being made by many people at red light camera intersections, is to make a panic stop.  In the Dilemma Zone, braking has to be far greater than the 10ft/sec² in the Traffic Engineering Manual (TEM).  The Person who decides to stop must do so with the risk of being rear ended, as drivers behind them expect them to proceed through the light as they are past the true critical point.  There is another illustration below to show the Dilemma Zone.

You can see in the illustration that a driver has no good choice to make when short yellow lights are employed to increase violations at red light camera intersections.

As you can see, safety is not the priority in this situation.  The City is thrilled with the end result any way you look at it.  If a driver speeds up, they get a photo speeding ticket.  If the driver stops and gets rear ended, a citation is issued to the driver that rear ends the first car.  If the driver maintains the speed limit, they run the red light and get a red light camera ticket.  The only winner is the city budget.  Drivers lose because they are being set up for failure.  No matter what a driver chooses to do, it will be wrong.

These are not “What if” situations.  I will post video of a 2.8 second yellow light at the intersection discussed above in another post.  The intersection has since been changed to a four second yellow light, because the entire red light program is in trouble, being challenged in court because of tactics like this and violations of constitutional rights.