Arizona Speed Cam entrapment ?

 

Is it just me? Last Saturday took I-19 almost to Green Valley, no Cams or problem. Coming back it went from 75 mi to 65 mi and then to 55mi for a short stretch (mile oe so). Guess where the Cam Van was? It then went back to 65 and soon another short 55 area, Cam Van and back to 65 the rest of the way home. Both had no real reason for the drop and only one sign with no warning of the speed chage. There were off and on ramps there but not as conjested as in Tucson downtown, which did not drop to 55. Then yesterday while driving in Phoenix, Tempe and Meza I noticed the same drop and back up in speed limits and Cam Van locations. All these roads were state highway/major roadways, seems like a scam/set-up to me. Would like to see a new law student who just passed their Bar take this on and get a good start on a career.

a good place to start

A good place in researching would be the law on who can set the speed limit on a state road or highway. In most states it is the Department of Transportation. Changes to speed limits often have to go through hearing processes - at least through the notification stage.

If it is the AZSP changing the speed limits, they may not have the regulatory authority to do so. Got a speed limit in MD changed from 35 back to 45 because the county changed the sign on a state highway when it went near a high school. The District Engineer said that was a no-no. The county has no jurisdiction over setting speed limits on state highways.

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ɐ‾nsǝɹ Just one click away from the end of the Internet

Green Valley

What you describe is the way the speed limit along I-19 has been for many years through Green Valley. A speed trap? Probably. Made solely for the cameras? No.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

Phoenix Area

They have done the same thing in the Phoenix area. It will go 75/65mph for a while, drop quickly to 55 with a radar trap awaiting, with no apparent reason for it. I think that Arizona is trying to generate revenue since they can't balance their budget.

I also heard a local talk radio program talk about getting tickets mailed to you by the camera's located all around. They said it violated our 6th amendment rights and basically was illegal since the tickets were not being served properly. I talked to a cop about this as well, and he said he has received camera speeding tickets in the mail and he throws them away since he hasn't been served properly.

Recently, a retired Congressman from Arizona said he wants to put a bill into action in Arizona where 1st class mail would be a legal way to serve people camera tickets since many people don't respond to the mailed tickets in AZ and basically there is nothing they can do about it.

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Larry - Nuvi 680, Nuvi 1690, Nuvi 2797LMT

No Re-election Fears

ahsumtoy wrote:

Recently, a retired Congressman from Arizona said he wants to put a bill into action in Arizona where 1st class mail would be a legal way to serve people camera tickets since many people don't respond to the mailed tickets

Hmmm, good thing he's retired! The way the uprising over speed cams keeps heating up in the state any introduction of a real bill to do that would be like touching the third rail...the lawmaker would never get re-elected.

Cheers wink

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Nuvi 760 & 660, Streetpilot, GPS III, GPS 10X

Retired Police Chief actually

ahsumtoy wrote:

Recently, a retired Congressman from Arizona said he wants to put a bill into action in Arizona where 1st class mail would be a legal way to serve people camera tickets since many people don't respond to the mailed tickets in AZ and basically there is nothing they can do about it.

Maybe this is in addition to what I've read, but the legislation that was or is to be introduced is from a police chief of Pleasant Valley. I''ve heard both the current and a retired chief, so take your pick...

Allegedly he is working for the company that has the contract for the cameras, because they are not named, but are not making anywhere near the profits they expected.

BTW, Pleasant Valley is one of the towns that had to return tens of thousands of dollars of fine revenue because it was found that they illegally reduced the length of the yellows at the intersections with the cameras specifically to increase the number of fines generated.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

Paradise Valley

I read the news release on that article. It said the retired chief supported the bill, but he did not actually author it. He allowed them to put his name on it because he supported the action. It sounded to me like it was authored by the companies deploying the camera systems since they are not making enough money because the state isn't making money on it. I would also bet that the state run cameras days are numbered if this doesn't pass.

Opps

phxpilot wrote:

I read the news release on that article. It said the retired chief supported the bill, but he did not actually author it.

Thanks phxpilot. I zoned on the name of the town.

Yep, this is the same thing I've heard too.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

I 19

Just received a camera ticket for speeding on I 19 going south. I was surprised because I have never been on I 19. It is definetly my car and me at the wheel. I cant understand how this could be. Anyone have the same problem?

Well....

bobcar75 wrote:

Just received a camera ticket for speeding on I 19 going south. I was surprised because I have never been on I 19. It is definetly my car and me at the wheel. I cant understand how this could be. Anyone have the same problem?

If that's true that you were never on that road then it's quite likely that the RLC operator made a mistake in issuing the ticket (i.e. it was you but on a different road than what the ticket says) which might be legal grounds for you getting the ticket dismissed. If you Google "red light camera mistakes" I'm sure you'll find lots of websites and info that can help you challenge the ticket.

Good luck!

NP

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In times of profound change, the learners will inherit the earth while the "learned" find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists...

Its fake

Arizona did away with photo enforcement last year. Only the cities still have speed cams, so I-19 is a state hwy and the speed cam tickets are only good for 60 days.

Maybe

windwalker wrote:

Arizona did away with photo enforcement last year. Only the cities still have speed cams, so I-19 is a state hwy and the speed cam tickets are only good for 60 days.

I'm not sure but I think municipalities can still set up on the Interstates that transit through them.

I think there should be a website listed on the citation where you can view the video evidence against you.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195

65 MPH through GV

Just an update to the thread, we took a trip down I-19 to the local Garlic & Onion Festival and found all of the construction through Green Valley has been finished and the speed limit has been raised to a consistent 65 mph through the area. The increase from 65 to 75 south of town is apparently missing it's sign, so I sped up shortly after the current map indicated the increase in limit again. It was several miles more before the next sign. (Or should I say kilometers? I-19 is the only US Interstate marked in kilometers)

Seems to me to still be a "target rich environment" for the police. Many cars passed us at well over the speed limit. Be sure to stay in the right lane if you plan on doing anything less than 10 or 15 mph over the limit in either direction.

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Drivesmart 66, Nuvi 2595LMT (Died), Nuvi 1490T (Died), Nuvi 260 (Died), GPSMAP 195