Florida red light cameras going, going, gone

Very interesting. Wow.

Maybe, unlike the fascists in "The Peoples Republic of Maryland", they found a tax they didn't like

Fines for violating a red light are hardly "taxes."

This is a quote from the article... this person called it a "TAX".. so argue with them!

"In a down economy, this was nothing more than a poll tax and a way to generate revenue," said Rep. Wengay 'Newt' Newton (D-St. Petersburg). "As you hear different municipalities talk about reasons for getting rid of those cameras right now, all you hear is, 'it doesn't produce the revenue we thought it would produce.' The word 'safety' fades to black."

Good for Florida!

from the same article,"A state senate committee rejected similar legislation last month, casting doubt on the ban's prospects of becoming law."

It may be up to the locals to make the cameras come down.

Very nice. So is the weather.

let this happen in MD !!!!

They left the physical cameras installed (I guess they are not worth uninstalling for the vendor), and people continue to stop. Mission accomplished.

They are a deterrent. There should be some relationship between the amount, and the offense. $560 for running a light imho is too severe. On the other hand, $100 is just fine. $560 for using a carpool lane as a single occupant is too little. ETC.

Traffic fines should be a deterrent but the amount of a fine is always debatable. If a fine is too small, it may be seen as the cost of doing business; if too large, it may be deemed to be an unreasonable punishment.

And then there is the perception of the amount fitting the violation. The amount of a fine should be associated with the risk to others but a person's view is affected by their experience/frustration with different violations. In my opinion, running a red light is much more dangerous than illegally driving in the carpool lane, but I don't have much experience with carpool lanes.

back in the day, when I first moved to the Phila area, I was told don't pay for parking, just get a ticket, it's cheaper. I found this thinking to be quite odd, one would never do that in NYC. Also, the idea that a ticket = park the rest of the day is also odd, should be multiple violations everytime the meter maid (whatever they're called) comes around. I had a good samaritin feed my meter once in front of him at the train station...

Speed Cameras?

That's to easy..

Lets tackle something hard.. Maybe the color of stripes on the pavement?

Or maybe the color of stripes on a diet road?

Congratulations Florida!

The only reason they are going is they cost more to maintain than the revenue generated. I have always said, if you don't like the cameras then "vote" them out by not running red lights. Remember no matter what anyone says, it's all about revenue generation, not safety, not anything. Cut the revenue and cameras go bye bye. A fact everywhere.

Good for Florida. However, it will be a cold day in hell for Maryland to do the same.

Went to Sumter Co. Florida last year and those cams were all over the place like roaches.

..a few weeks ago that the City of Middletown in Ohio has started taking down their cameras after the State of Ohio ruled them illegal unless you had a sworn police officer monitoring the cameras. Seems like they didn't want to take that step in enforcing the law.

I wish they did this in NYC!

Safety effectiveness, cost, and politics aside this is a simple issue: Traffic cameras are bad for the tourism business. Which is what Florida covets. And thank goodness for that since all the visitors spending money and paying sales taxes keeps my personal taxes lower!

I have another route home, and was thinking, man, this intersection really should have a camera, I do know there's one at Lindbergh (Island and Bartram).

I google it, and not only has there been one there since 2014, there is another at Penrose and 26th that I pass through as well! lol

I guess I have cared less recently, than I did 5+ years ago, but am amazed that I have been passing through 2 RLC intersections for a year without knowing it. Maybe because these are on the left side, on islands?

It almost seems to me, camera or no camera, in the intersections that the cameras are placed, it's heavily congested and dangerous to run the lights...although it does happen A LOT at 34th where the perp/actor either goes up the middle and fakes that they are going straight, then jerks left, or just crosses the double yellow line and goes left. I am certain they are beating the RLC and able to make a left turn through a red light, or they wouldn't do it.

I hope Maryland is next.

Would you say that if someone you knew had been injured by some idiot running a red light?

The Peoples Republic of Maryland.. They will never give up the cash cows... Or are they golden geese???

I can never remember..

I didn't realize this until now -- in at least one Florida city there is dedicated court time set aside just for RLC appeals!

http://www.myclearwater.com/Home/Components/Calendar/Event/5...

We should be more like the Brits or Canadians--for a hands free/distracted driving violation, $490 if you pay, $1000+ if you fight it.

If you want to see an exaggerated analogy of our legal system, look at O'Reilly. 11 lawsuits, and 18 vendors like BMW and MB and Hyundai dropped advertising, and he feels ok. Why? Because he can settle it.

Thanks for the info...going there this summer and not worry about it any more.

I haven't heard anything here in Lakeland, Florida about this or Haines City for that matter. Both of these cities have RLC's.

Unfortunately, it does not look like this will pass the senate this year, but maybe it will eventually.

How can the RLC be a cash cow or whatever.
If you drive sensibly and don't run red lights you have nothing to worry about !!!

the original purpose of the red light camera was to stop people from running red lights which was a good thing ! the city counsel or a politician seen it as a way to increase revenue that was bad ! maybe instead of a fine a second red light offence get you a lifetime ban from ever driving again after all running a red light puts my life and yours in danger so what's a life worth ? most laws have a good purpose it is up to us to over see that the law isn't abused by ether side.

the traffic signal at Island and Bartram was out. I wish I had a dash cam. I assume the RLC should not ticket anyone in such a case--we shall see.

Since I'm not moving, I need to adjust my attitude, but I feel very annoyed when someone either cuts at a rlc intersection, or goes across the double yellow and makes a left turn, without getting ticketed/caught.

Sometimes I wonder, those who are anti-control, do you also feel tinted windows such that the driver cannot be seen from the front, sides, or back, when the law states 70% of light must pass through, is ok? meaning, unless law enforcement scrapes it off, let it be?

There are so many things that are far beyond our control, that matter more, imho, than rlcs. How many on this thread have ever gotten a ticket?

Actually, taking the vehicle and destroying it (after conviction of course) might become more detrimental..

Although a lot have cameras have come down in the
Orlando,, Fl area, many still remsin so beware

World I would have said good riddance, I would never seet foot in that place, but now I have a toddler and no choice but to go down there. A friend gives us free tix.

Years ago I had heard gas stations were gouging tourists who weren't careful about the price, human nature.

http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/house-panel-backs-red-ligh...

"The House is on a fast track to try to repeal Florida's red-light camera law, with the Appropriations Committee on Tuesday voting to back elimination of the devices by July 1, 2021.

It is the only committee that will hear the bill (HB 6001) before the issue moves to the House floor during the 2018 legislative session.

Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, a Spring Hill Republican who is one of the bill's sponsors, urged members to back the repeal, arguing the cameras are more important to local governments as a revenue source than as a traffic-safety measure. “In my estimation, this is nothing more than taxation by citation,” Ingoglia said."

Good.

Fortunately, speed cameras are already outlawed in Florida - we wouldn't want to deter visitors from coming here and spending their money! IMHO tourism is one driver for getting rid of RLCs, too.

What about "Justice", Face your accuser, the Traffic whatever that checks the Video was not at the scene, did not see all circumstances!

only could get Maryland to do the same thing!!!

Fred

Need to get rid of cameras here too.

.... in your wallet?

Maryland never met a tax/fee/camera ticket it didn't like.

They are still going to enforce red light running. If you see the lights on top of the traffic light, they can sit off to the side out of sight and watch for runners. Those lights illuminate when the light turns red. The difference is they won't be there all the time. Glad to see them go, they were being abused by local municipalities.

In 2014 the Florida Supreme Court ruled that the cities of Aventura and Orlando did not have the authority to set up a camera system to catch red-light runners and ticket them:

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/decisions/2014/sc12-644.p...

The ruling was stayed pending a motion for rehearing, which was filed by Aventura:

http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/pub_info/summaries/briefs...

The rehearing is set for February, 2018.

http://floridapolitics.com/archives/247090-supreme-court-set...

And just in case the Supreme Court comes up with the wrong answer, the state legislature will once again attempt to block the use of RLCs....

"Red-light cameras have long been controversial, and the Florida House has started moving forward with a bill (HB 6001) for the 2018 session that would repeal a state law that allows local governments to use the cameras."

Stay tuned!

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