Des Moines,Iowa

'scuse the profanity... Hell no.

State legislators on both sides of the aisle had a chance to kill cameras - and they failed. Punted. Blew it off. It needs to be an issue in the next campaign. And Iowans need to stand up to their state congresscritters and tell them "No more".

I do not think it will be an issue until a State legislator gets caught just like the time a son driving daddy's Corvette got caught in Ceder Rapids and daddy put out a bill to ban cameras which failed miserably.
I many times while working with my computers listen to my radio scanner and love it when the police set up radar on the freeway. It is an almost fact that one can drive 9 miles per hour over the limit on the freeway in Des Moines and not get stopped. The fastest speed I have heard is 93mph in a 55mph zone but he was an unlucky wanted felon trying to leave South Dakota behind.
The Des Moines system will be that after review and they think you are desiring a citation for breaking the law voluntarily, they along with the citation will give you a code so that you can go online at their website and see your violation. After a certain time the video will be erased. If one does not have a computer they can go downtown and view it at the station.
As I read it, if one is going to do a right turn on red then they better stop first behind the white line and the proceed or under Iowa law it is an illegal turn.

I visited Des Moines in April, and I have a question. What is considered speeding? How much over the speed limit until you get pulled over, or a speeding ticket from a camera? I'm curious because I think the speed limit is already pretty high, and I don't understand why anyone would want/need to go faster than 70 mph.

80-85 miles an hour...the easy answer is to get there faster on roads designed for high speed travel. I firmly believe there should be two tiered licensing and two tiered travel lanes. Far right 55 far left 85...you speed in the right lane you get a BIG ticket...you squat in the left you get a BIG ticket...the devil is in the details I grant you but this poking along crap on major interstate highways is for the birds.

For one to enter Des Moines proper he/she must go through the suburbs first.
The suburbs as of today have not set up radar units on the freeway so if the limit is 65 and you see trucks passing you then there is no patrol car close and you may follow them.
The actual city does several speed traps a year with the state patrol helping. The first time they did it several years ago was the morning of the opening of the boys state wrestling tournament and between 9AM and 1PM they stopped 197 people for doing over 75mph in a 65 mph zone. They did not have enough patrol to stop people doing under 75mph.
The last one they did several months ago they were stopping people for doing 67mph in a 55mph zone so one has to figure out the stoppage speed.
With the new mobile camera one has to look out for a white Ford Explorer parked on the side of the road. It might be the police.

maybe this exec was one of the people that talked them into it
http://heraldnet.com/article/20110517/BLOG48/705179793/-1/ne...

I figured those people would be vocal in promoting their product. If they're all about safety, why don't they donate their services?

Thank you TMK, and kurzemnieks for answering my question.

the interstate speeds are fine...
its the dropping it to 55 because there a house in that area that people keep driving the 70 mph speed limit...

Sounds good to me. A typical trip for me is 300+ miles one way, so it is definitely a time saver at the higher speeds. I haven't traveled as much lately, but typically about 1000 a week. Saves a few hours.

The problem is not just the fact that they will zap you if you enter on red but there have been several cases where the owner of the camera shortened the yellow light period to increase the number of violations and the ensuing cash flow to the owner. There have been changes in some areas but probably not all especially if there is no experience with their eccentricities - or those of the owners.

If one does not want to slow down if they are passing Des Moines, take I35-80 and not I235. The speed limit goes down to 55mph downtown with the possibility of radar while I35-80 the speed limit is 65mph if you want everyone to pass you or follow a semi driving 80mph and you know the highway patrol is not on the road. The district highway patrol office is at the 2nd street exit.

That really #%&$ too shorten yellow time......

This morning the newspaper said the red light cameras should be operational June 1 when for 30 days they will give citations and afterwords it will be for real.
It was also stated that these cameras will also be speed cameras and will record people speeding through the intersection regardless if the light is red or green so one might get a speeding and a red light ticket at the same time.

They should get quite a few on both red light and speed as the offenders speed up to get through.

I won't be going back to Des Moines any time soon.

ack!

The Des Moines Police department finalized its Redlight and speed camera report and it is:
On E.15th at Maple northbound which is one way otherwise the exit ramp of westbound I235 and East 15th. -93.59629, 41.59702. City's 4th most dangerous intersection.
On 9th at Grand AVE. one way street Southbound. -93.62900, 41.58700. City's 9th most dangerous intersection.
On 19th at University one way street north. -93.64257, 41.60050. City's 11th most dangerous intersection.
East bound off the I235 exit ramp at Martin Luther King and School street. -93.64436, 41.59535. City's 2nd most dangerous intersection.
On Army Post Road Eastbound at 5th street. -93.60651, 41.52628. City's 15th most dangerous intersection.
The cameras will be turned on Friday 3rd of June.
Civil penalties for running a red light is $65 and speeding starts at $65 and go up with speed.
The installation which cost $500,000 which was not charged to the city but the company will get $27 for each paid Red Light ticket and $25 for each paid speeding ticket. If that ticket is not paid then after time it goes to a collection agency (down goes your credit rating also) and if that fails then expect your State refund check to be smaller next year.
So on July 3rd do not run red lights at these intersections.
The city of Clive makes enough money (especially at Hickman and I80/35 from people doing rolling stops at red lights)from these cameras to have hired 3 more policemen to do other police work.
The company installing the cameras stated that these intersections have 50 daily violations so at $25 and $27 dollars if you get caught doing both it means the company would get up to $18,980 a year.

The city today announced their mobile speed unit started today. Today it will be in the 1500 block of East Euclid westbound. Thursday it will be in the 800 block of US Highway 65 bypass westbound. Friday it will be in the 1800 block of Beaver Ave southbound. It is a white Ford Explorer with police marking and will have traffic cones near it.
Next weeks schedule will come out Friday and can be seen at www.facebook.com/dmpolice
The next weeks schedule will be posted every Friday.
Cedar Rapids police does the same at:
http://www.cedar-rapids.org/government/departments/police/pa...