Cedar Rapids, IA, to get Red Light/Speed Cameras??

RT, Just let me know when you start seeing them being installed and we will get them added.

Miss POI

The city consul just passed the law to allow cameras, look for 3 cameras added from here. Sorry to hear about Cedar Rapids, lived in Waterloo for 18 yrs.

Here's the latest:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/37287664.html

RT

http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/2009...

http://www.cedar-rapids.org/community/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=...

Cedar Rapids, Iowa annouces locations for the red light and speed cameras.

Thanks RT, at least we now know where they will be. I assume these are not installed / active yet. Guess I will take a drive this afternoon and check it out.

Will there be a revolt of the residents?

You should consider running for office with a policy of eliminating red light & speed cameras & get your neighbors behind you! Then we need it to spread like a flame to other states! Sorry for that day dream.

Fred

Unfortunately, I live in a neighboring city and can't vote in Cedar Rapids city elections.

At least, according to this article:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/78416387.html
"Officers will review photos and if it's a violation, a citation will go out." I wonder how long this will last?? Until they realize they can make more money by not reviewing them???

RT

Local news reports say the cam's will be turned on in late January or early February. I guess we still have a few weeks before we get our pictures taken.

Red light cameras in Cedar Rapids, IA, is just around the corner!
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/80336717.html

RT

The first red light cameras in Cedar Rapids, Iowa are suppose to be installed today and operational in a few days.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/81318907.html

Can there be speed cameras on the Interstate system?

Apparently it is allowed, as Cedar Rapids is going to put them in the troublesome downtown area of I380.

Arizona has a lot of speed cameras on the Interstate system.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/84171447.html

Cedar Rapids test mobile camera.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/85088482.html

to the club ---

we have all had them for a long time

as I'll be in Cedar Rapids for the first time in my life, on business in March. Will there be anyone inputting CR cams in the POI file?

haven't you guys figured out that Miss POI doesn't mess around when it comes to newly installed camera locations.

They are in the file silly boy;)

Miss POI

When it comes to keeping the camera files updated you would swear she has extra fingers as quickly as the file gets updated (even tho we only see it weekly.)

She got the response in (and cams) even before I realized my post had appeared!...Spooky!

That the mobile speed camera is in a red jeep cherokee with the strobes mounted on the roof. I have not seen it yet.

Did you get this one, Miss POI:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/87225052.html

RT

Got it into today's update that will be going up before lunch today.

Thanks RT,

Miss POI

When I read the article, I read noting about safety being the reason. The take-away I got was that the police wanted to spend less time working traffic accidents. I got this from the following quotes:

"Police say in other cities that use cameras, accident rates typical drop by at least 20 percent because drivers become more cautious. In Cedar Rapids, that would mean a thousand fewer crashes a year.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Greg Graham said 'it takes us an average of an hour to work a crash--that's (potentially) a thousand hours we're not working crashes and we're out and about doing more proactive things.'"

Now surely a reduction on accidents would mean an increase in safety, but that was not presented to the city council as a reason.

As I drove through two red-light cameras this morning, I was thinking about the budget problem in most cities and states. Opponents of cameras use the fact that ticket revenue usually increases as a reason to oppose them, even though that same citizen would not like to see a sales tax increase or an increase in the property tax as a way to balance the budget. Many camera opponents say they cannot confront their accuser when it is a camera, but most citizens would probably not want to see their police force concentrate on traffic enforcement even though it would make the streets safer and generate revenue. Then, the would decry that fact that the police were getting revenue instead of fighting "real" crime. Police are in a catch twenty two situation.

Since people who speed or who run red-lights are a danger to others, it seems to make sense to get revenue from them, expecially when the rest of us are safer as a result.

CR has numerous times stated the cameras are to reduce accidents, including your quotes "accident rates typical drop by at least 20 percent". That IS for safety. The problem with the quoted post is the 'quotes' are from the police chief. What's he going to say, "na, they don't help, just a money maker"? To balance this out, also quote 'facts' from the other side. Some places have stated that the cameras reduce accidents; but then, when questioned, also admitted that the traffic was far less because of job losses and reduced tourism caused by the poor economy. Therefore, the real numbers are unknown.

I'm not saying that cameras don't reduce accidents; what I said was it sure is coincidental that these cameras weren't proposed in CR until the budget deficit was so bad that the higher-ups were planning on sneaking through a tax increase. Pretty obvious what the main reason is!

Incidentally, it would be nice if the whole original posting was quoted so one would know what 'crooked' actions initiated this question.

RT

http://www.cedar-rapids.org/community/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=...

It appears a couple Cedar Rapid's cameras should be added to the files, "I380 Northbound @ Diagonal Dr SW" and "1st Ave & L St SW".
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/96140444.html

More coming:
http://www.kgan.com/shared/newsroom/top_stories/videos/kgan_...

Thanks.
RT

I see that the new cameras identified by retiredtechnician in the above post are not in this week's file (June 23). Miss POI do you need coordinates or additional information on these?

Those will be in next week's update.

Miss POI

As of today, another one to add, Miss POI:
Williams Boulevard and 16th Avenue SW

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/97430589.html

Thanks.
RT

http://www.globegazette.com/news/iowa/article_95a10312-838b-...

Another light scheduled to start in Cedar Rapids at midnight today (7/23/2010)
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Red-Light-Camera-on-Center-Po...

RT

All that means is that all the police will turn on their lights as they go through intersections. Like a lot of them do now. After all they don't want to be issued "letters".

Here's the latest:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Second-Set-of-Cameras-on-Nort...

Quote: "Eventually, police plan to create the first automated speed zone in the country, using the two sets of cameras to time drivers. Essentially, if you get to the second set of cameras too fast, you could be cited for speeding."

RT

Latest at:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/New-I-380-Speed-Camera-Going-...

RT

Did the I-380 Northbound at J Ave NE speed camera get missed this go-around?

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/New-I-380-Speed-Camera-Going-...

Thanks.

RT

Didn't get missed, just put in the wrong spot. Some silly computer geekette put it near J St instead of J Ave.

It will show up correctly in next week's update. Thanks to Alandb for pointing out the error.

I only do things like this to keep you all entertained.

Miss POI

I will be taking a trip home to Iowa in a few days and my mom warned me about these. I came here to look, and they are in the file already. Big thanks to everyone for doing such an amazing job with this website!

Another camera to go live on 12/18/2010:
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Final-Traffic-Cameras-Go-Live...

RT

Do not forget the cameras downtown in Cedar Rapids on I380 are a pair of cameras that calulate speed by time. The first camera starts the clock and the second stops and calulates speed over the set distance. So do not speed-up after passing the first camera!

I appreciated the additional info, but it turns out I did not need to be worried. Every time I drove along this route while out there, it was snowing and there was no way to even go the speed limit, much less speed. I guess Mother Nature does not like tickets either.

$2.6 Million! All in the name of safety!
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/As-2010-Closes-Out-More-Than-...

RT

A related article indicates that the number of violations has dropped 60%. That might indicate that the number of accidents has also declined but, unfortunately, most articles do not like to cite accident statistics unless they are negative.

See article at
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Red-Light-Camera-Citations-Do...

Possibly, but more likely this indicates ...

Drivers now know where the cameras are and are slowing down only at the cameras ...

Or there are fewer miles driven in CR because of the sluggish CR economy ...

Or, as one non-CR resident said he was doing, many would-be visitors are now avoiding Cedar Rapids because of the cameras, thereby decreasing the amount of traffic and doing more damage to the CR economy!

Or .........

Assuming by 'negative' you mean 'not supporting traffic camera use', I believe it's just the opposite. Whenever traffic camera advocates have an article showing accidents have decreased, they use it without any reference as to what really changed the accident count ... such as age of drivers, road conditions, weather conditions, day or night, day of the week, and again, possibly fewer drivers going to work because of the poor economy.

RT