Legislation coming to ban automated traffic cameras

BY DEVAN PATEL

dpatel@qctimes.com

DAVENPORT ? As Davenport enters into a new contract with Redflex Traffic Systems for its automated traffic enforcement cameras, its decision may be short-lived.

State Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, intends to push legislation aggressively to ban traffic cameras during the next legislative session and submitted a prefiled bill last week.

?I?m honored that I have been asked to chair the Senate Judiciary Committee, which means that I set the agenda in Judiciary Committee,? Zaun said. ?There will be a bill that will ban all traffic enforcement cameras.?

A proposed bill banning traffic enforcement cameras is not new.

In years past, bills have come out of the Iowa House of Representatives and sent to the Senate only to be stopped by Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs. Gronstal, however, was defeated in the Nov. 8 election by Republican Dan Dawson, one of several Democratic losses that also means Republicans will have the majority in the Senate.

?We?ve had the votes before; the only reason it didn?t go through was because the Senate majority leader wouldn?t let it come up for a vote,? Zaun said.

With a clearer path, Zaun foresees the bill finding its way onto the governor?s desk after clearing the Senate and House next month.

Zaun said Gov. Terry Branstad likely will still be in office by the time a bill comes around because of the lengthy confirmation process for Branstad?s appointment to become the ambassador to China.

Ben Hammes, communications director for Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, confirmed that should a bill come before Branstad is confirmed as ambassador, he would sign it.

Revenue versus safety

Zaun doesn?t see the camera ban as a partisan issue, but rather a generational one.

?Older Iowans favor them versus the younger generations, but 95 percent of the emails I get are, ?Shut these cameras down,?? Zaun said.

His problem with traffic cameras, however, revolves around the companies that cities are getting into bed with and their intent.

When told of Davenport?s involvement with Redflex, Zaun laughed and said, ?Yeah, I know that name well.?

Redflex?s name has been in the news across the country for years, but for the wrong reasons.

Its former CEO, Karen Finley, was sentenced last month to 30 months in federal prison for bribing government officials for contracts in Columbus, Ohio, Cincinnati and Chicago.

The traffic enforcement camera giant is being sued by the city of Chicago for more than $300 million.

The company?s former executive vice president, Aaron Rosenberg, also has claimed the company?s bribery practices occurred in 13 other states.

Earlier this year, Redflex and Creditwatch settled a $3.5 million class-action lawsuit in New Mexico for using robocalls to collect on unpaid parking tickets.

?There have been so many abuses,? Zaun said. ?It?s become more about generating revenue versus public safety.?

Zaun said many cameras often show inaccurate data because they have not been calibrated properly or checked and accident data can be misleading.

Instead, cities and counties have become reliant on the revenue the cameras bring in.

Cedar Rapids, for example, brings in $3 million to $3.5 million annually. Davenport has brought in more than $1 million on average since 2011.

That number could have been expected to rise as the city?s new contract reduces Redflex?s take of a $65 ticket from $24 to $21.

The city saw a spike in 2016 with more than $2 million in revenue, but Finance Director Brandon Wright said that could be attributed to a few factors, including the success of collecting past due fines through the Iowa Income Offset Program.

The Iowa Income Offset Program allows the collection of debt through means such as garnishing tax refunds and lottery winnings.

Last week, Wright said $6.5 million in automated camera ticket fines is outstanding.

Davenport safety

Although Zaun questions the efficacy of cameras in improving public safety, data from Davenport?s automated traffic enforcement evaluation report suggests otherwise.

Red light crashes at intersections with cameras have decreased 66 percent compared to the years prior to their installation.

In the annual report, traffic engineer Gary Statz also cited the 34 percent decrease in vehicle trauma injuries as reported by Genesis Health System.

?The large reduction in red light crashes has shown the effectiveness of our program,? Statz wrote. ?We also believe this program has raised awareness of the dangers of speeding and red light running.?

Judging by the median and 85th percentile speeds where cameras are located, drivers also have slowed down.

Before cameras were put in on River Drive, the median and 85th percentile speeds were 39 and 43.6 mph, respectively.

Immediately after the installation, those speeds dropped to 37.6 and 40.3 mph.

The most recent speed studies show faster driving but still below numbers found prior to installation.

As to the questions about accuracy, Statz reported to the Iowa Department of Transportation that cameras are checked on a monthly basis.

Red light for revenue

After years of pushing for the camera ban, Zaun is confident this is the year it finally climbs the last hurdle.

?They are going to be leaving the state of Iowa or at least that?s my prediction,? Zaun said.

While a traffic camera ban would not have the same impact as in Cedar Rapids, which collects more revenue from camera tickets, Wright said the loss of revenue would be a blow to the city?s budget in the future.

Through November, the city has collected just less than half a million dollars in this fiscal year and is on pace to meet or exceed the $975,000 in revenue budgeted for the year.

?The ATE (automated traffic enforcement) revenue is collected in the general fund to help fund public safety,? Wright said. ?Obviously, losing more than $1 million annually for that purpose would have a negative impact on the city.?