Feb 27, 2007

red light cameras vs. longer yellows

Why I'm even more skeptical of Lacey's plan to add red light cameras: in Lubbock, the city is gaming the system, shortening yellow light times below safety thresholds.
More interesting, that same city engineer promised the Lubbock city council last year that he wouldn't increase yellow light times at intersections with cameras. In a telling moment of candor, Jere Hart told the city council that though the public prefers longer yellow cycles, and though studies show longer yellows dramatically reduce red-light running and collisions, lengthening them would cut into the expected revenue the cameras are expected to generate.
Why don't we go with what's cheap, and actually works?

(Don't answer. Rhetorical question.)

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