March 23--Pittsburgh City Council members are divided about the idea of bringing red-light cameras here after hearing a report Tuesday on their use in Philadelphia.
The state Senate last year passed legislation that would allow the cameras to be used in Pittsburgh and 18 other cities, and similar legislation is pending in the House. Its sponsor, Rep. Paul Costa, D-Wilkins, whose district takes in some eastern neighborhoods in the city, attended the council meeting.
In Philadelphia, which has been using the devices in a pilot program since 2005, cameras photograph a vehicle's license plate if the driver crosses the stop line after the traffic light turns red. Philadelphia Parking Authority and city police review the photos for clarity before $100 tickets are sent to the vehicle owners.
"It's changed driver behavior," said Christopher Vogler, who manages red-light enforcement for the authority.
According to data provided to council, the number of red-light violations at key Philadelphia intersections has dropped as much as 91 percent because of the program. In all, about 100 cameras are operating at about 20 Philadelphia intersections.
For the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2011, the program generated $7.6 million in net revenue, which goes to the state.
Council members Patrick Dowd and Bill Peduto said they liked the idea of using the cameras here. It's a public-safety tool, "not a way to 'getcha,' " Mr. Peduto said.
However, council President Darlene Harris and Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, who convened the meeting as chairwoman of the public safety committee, expressed concerns about an increase in rear-end collisions in some cities using the devices.
In Philadelphia, the offense is treated like a traffic ticket, not a moving violation. Tickets go to the vehicle owner, not the driver. "That's a concern," Ms. Kail-Smith said.
Insurance companies are not notified of the violations, Mr. Costa said.
If the Legislature authorizes additional cities to use the cameras, they still would have the option of installing them, Mr. Costa said. He said he doesn't envision state grants to help cities set up the camera systems.
Joe Smydo: [email protected] or 412-263-1548.
Copyright 2012 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
