Spokane7
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March 11, 2010 in City
City gets lots of green from red-light cameras
I realize Spokane is strapped for cash, but is Photo Red the way to get us in the black?
Come on. There must be more ways for a city to turn an honest buck.
Like prostitution, say. Or selling crack.
Or check this out. One of my colleagues came up with this positively brilliant idea to turn that old YMCA building everybody’s squabbling over into a casino.
Not only will gamblers be drawn to such a stellar Riverfront Park view, but I can see the mayor and City Council adding to the attraction by dealing blackjack or working the craps tables.
How great would that be?
Our leaders could finally say they were earning their pay legitimately.
But getting back to Photo Red – just weeks ago cameras went up at four more city intersections, designed to catch red light runners in the act. That brings the total up to seven intersections, and if you think it will end there you’re probably high.
Before this is over we’ll probably have cameras hooked to every stoplight in town.
Why?
Because Photo Red is the best damned cash cow Spokane ever had.
Get this. The city, according to a recent Spokesman-Review report, raked in a cool $103,000 profit from the 5,600 camera tickets issued during the program’s first year.
Oh, yeah. Photo Red is also supposed to be a big boon to public safety by citing red light runners.
But as our aforementioned story also pointed out, the first year saw accidents and injuries actually INCREASING at our original three candid camera crossroads.
I know I’ve said this before. But sometimes it truly amazes me that the rabble doesn’t occasionally rise up and storm City Hall with pitchforks and burning torches.
Maybe they won’t need to.
Local attorney John Clark, not a relative so far as I know, told me Wednesday that his firm is contesting Spokane’s Photo Red program. His opening salvo will be a series of motions scheduled to be heard Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom D of the Spokane County Courthouse Annex.
The case was researched by Caitlin O’Keefe, a second-year law student at Gonzaga University, and an intern at Clark’s Spokane Valley firm.
Clark plans to contest the legality of the officer’s signature affixed to a client’s camera ticket. Clark contends the signature is invalid under Washington law because it was applied electronically by the out-of-state firm that has the Photo Red contract with Spokane.
It strikes me as one of those niggling technical arguments. But the bottom line is that Clark is no fan of red light cameras for some very sound reasons.
All those cameras “make money like crazy,” he says, warning that a city’s rush to raise revenue “should not be at the expense of public safety.”
Clark points out that changing behavior, not making a lot of money, was the state Legislature’s original intent regarding red light cameras.
Furthermore, Clark says many of the tickets are issued not to blatant red-light runners, but to drivers who made slow, rolling right turns also known as “California stops.”
Aw, it’s anyone’s guess how this will shake out in a courtroom. But if our officials really wanted to do some good they’d look into installing a citywide camera system to keep watch on Spokane’s vast pothole problem.
Photo Mud, we could call it.
Doug Clark is a columnist for The Spokesman-Review. He can be reached at (509) 459-5432 or by e-mail at dougc@spokesman.com.
Recent stories by Doug Clark
Doug Clark: Roskelley’s candidacy is all downhill from here May 27, 2012 15- Clark: No clear inspiration for ‘Spokane Motel Blues’ May 24, 2012 6
- Professor’s ‘Motel’ mystery needs you to solve it May 22, 2012
- Clark: City ordinance shows lack of sound thinking May 20, 2012 21
- Doug Clark: Many wrongs, one big right in Zehm case May 17, 2012 24
CharlesBillford on March 11 at 12:15 a.m.
We already have the Photo Council Cam where we can watch ShoNuff and his temper tantrums. Rush and Snyder intoxicated on their Greenhouse gases. McGlaughlin “pouting on being outed” from the STA committees.. Corker pontificating wisely and wordy too. BApple nearly broke a finger nail pushing that red button..and Waldorf Salad still figuring where to sit after visiting the hair dresser.
I think we should have a McGrath camera where it shows all those pennies from city hall going into a big toilet bowl.
On that gambling casino idea, how about turning the council chambers into a Keno pit? since all they do there is churn the numbers anyway. Why not some horse shoe pits we got enough horse manure from the council?
cowboy on March 11 at 7:47 a.m.
Spokane pays the camera company 74% of the profits i only hope the city doesn’t spend all the money and then we end up OWING the camera company.
and 100 grand isn’t really that much money when you figure that is a years salary for many of our elite leaders. heck the newly hired puppet ombudsman makes 100 grand a year.
liarsinnews on March 11 at 8:31 a.m.
Cooley and Verner ride again. Hi Ho “SILVER”, or is the name “GOLD” instead?
ChefGus/ John Olsen on March 11 at 8:54 a.m.
An observation of late… Spokane drivers already being sort of hesitant and not predictable … have started slowing down and putting on their brakes at normal intersections BEFORE the light changes…. just in case it might turn red.. when there is and was still plenty of time to clear the intersection in question.. SO:
My wondering this morning has to do with the total number of rear end crashes at intersections of course with the cameras… but also those at Non regulated intersections?? who can give us any stats on that?? johh
Coffee on March 11 at 9:14 a.m.
If you twits would learn how to drive, the city could put a camera on every corner and it would not make difference. Most not all but most drivers in Spokane have there heads so far up there backsides they need a window put in there bellybutton so they can see. If you do not want a ticket put your cell phone down, turn down the radio, quit looking at your girl friends boobs instead of the road and drive responsibly.
MrNatural on March 11 at 10:33 a.m.
LOL to comments…
I’ll be the first to attest that a yellow light in Spokane means “three more cars” but I think it’s the Big Brother aspect that affronts our collective sensibilities. Curbing bad public behavior or behavior modification via red light cameras (like cell phones and seat belts) will take time and create friction along the way…so to all: Drive courteously and carefully and not competitively or comatose.
smarg on March 11 at 11:21 a.m.
The people that hate traffic cameras are the regular law breakers who are steamed that they got caught.
CharlesBillford on March 11 at 1:06 p.m.
Why dont we have Cop Car Cams? That would stop a lot of “crimes”, however they wont need a blue lens for that.
Teseract on March 11 at 1:19 p.m.
I got to see the new camera on Freya northbound in action yesterday. The horrible lawbreaker had his right turn signal on, slowed and stopped, front tires 6” over the white line, as required so he could see oncoming traffic.
FLASH!
The car sat at a dead stop waiting for oncoming traffic to clear for another 5-10 seconds, still at 6” over the white line, then made a legal free right.
$168 more for the city coffers for someone daring to roll across the white line to be able to see oncoming traffic.
Needless to say, I no longer make free rights in Spokane. Traffic congestion and angry drivers trying to get to work on time be damned.
XrayStan on March 11 at 1:32 p.m.
I’ve never been cited by a red light camera, but don’t red lights. They are Big Brother incarnate and I know I won’t get any accidentally because I boycott any jurisdiction that uses them.
Say goodbye to my former sales tax Spokane. You’ve joined the ranks of Seattle and mostly west side cities. Gives me one more reason to go to Tri-Cities and buy there.
cowboy on March 12 at 8:39 a.m.
the day is coming where we will all have a camera in our cars, all cars already have GPS. and coffee her boobs are so nice i just cant keep my eyes on the road, ha, ha
PlanB on March 13 at 10:19 a.m.
Oh Doug, you are expecting the city council to make decisions based on evidence and facts. That rarely happens.
There was ample evidence before the first cameras were installed that showed they did nothing for safety, and tended to increase the number of accidents. They went up anyway.
The one thing the cameras do show is that people can make better decisions than machines. Inching up to an intersection so you can see is safe. Rolling rights (when combined with good visibility) are safe, save energy, and reduce congestion.
For those of you that think no contrived crime should go unpunished, I hope you may someday find happiness in your fascist utopia, but not here.
Hcklbery on March 17 at 1:29 p.m.
ONE MORE SMALL STEP TOWARDS A POLICE STATE
FOR THAT ONE GIANT LEAP OF GOVT’S ABOLISHMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS.
Anne_Observer on March 18 at 1:40 p.m.
They should do just a little more research, because even just a few minutes on Google will point you to some studies from other cities in the United States that have had cameras for a while… and they show in nearly every case that not just the number but also the severity of accidents and injuries went UP after the cameras were installed.
Keep up the good work, Doug.