Will Red Light Camera Contract Extension Be a Go?

The will be asked this month to give the "green light" to a new contract with the operators of Newark's red light cameras.

The police department is currently negotiating a new agreement with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc.

The old five-year agreement expired on March 10. The city had the option to renew it for another two years, but police administrators decided to extend the pact for 60 days while it bargained for a new contract that could cut costs and possibly shut down one of the cameras now in Newark.

"We decided to take the extra time to negotiate a better deal for the city," said Chief Jim Leal.

The program began in August 2006 with the installation of the first couple of cameras. The city had the option to have up to 10 installed, but they limited it to five. Leal said they chose only the most dangerous intersections.

"We put them in locations where traditional traffic enforcement doesn't work," the chief said.

The cameras are now located at:

• Northbound Newark Boulevard at Jarvis Avenue
• Southbound Newark Boulevard at Jarvis Avenue
• Westbound Mowry Avenue at Cedar Boulevard
• Northbound Cedar Boulevard at Mowry Avenue
• Cherry Street and Mowry Avenue

Leal said the red light cameras have significantly reduced the number of collisions as well as the number of red light runners at all intersections.

He said there were 300 red light violators a month at the northbound Newark Boulevard location before the cameras were installed. There are now 25 to 30 violators a month.

At the southbound Newark Boulevard juncture, there were 5,018 red light runners the six months before cameras were installed. There were 1,707 violators the past six months.

Along northbound Cedar Boulevard, the number has dropped from 3,095 to 1,877.

Along westbound Mowry Avenue, the violations have been reduced from 2,225 to 1,591.

And at Cherry and Mowry, the number has decreased from 306 to 230.

In fact, Leal said the program has been such a success they may ask Redflex to turn off the camera on northbound Newark Boulevard because drivers seem to have become accustomed to obeying the traffic signals. The camera can be turned back on if violations start to rise again.

The chief said there is no doubt the cameras have had an impact. The collisions at three of the intersection dropped from 46 in 2001 to 2005 to 23 in 2006 to 2010.

"If we saved one life, then the program has been a success," Leal said.

Not everyone agrees.

Rick Bensco, a Newark resident who is vocal on traffic issues, said there is conflicting information on whether red light cameras actually make intersections safer.

He said the cameras might reduce the T-bone type of accidents, but they can increase the number of rear-end collisions.

Bensco said studies have shown 90 percent of collisions at red lights happen when a driver is making a right turn.

He said having more crossing guards is a better solution.

However, Mona Taplin, a Newark resident active in community issues, said the cameras have definitely reduced the number of red light runners.

"It's a good idea. It has slowed down the red light violators," she said.

City Manager John Becker agrees. He says the statistics back it up, too.

"There's no doubt the cameras have been absolutely beneficial in Newark," Becker said.

He notes the cameras are particularly important in tight budget times when city services are being reduced.

"We have limited police resources," he said. "We can't be at every intersection. They are a godsend."

Accidents aside, Bensco also has a problem with the $476 fine that comes with a red light violation. He notes it takes someone earning $10 an hour 47 hours to pay off the ticket.

"The fine for running a red light is morally incomprehensible," said Bensco. "Is this a safety issue or is it a revenue-generating issue?"

Taplin disagrees. She thinks the fine fits the crime.

"If you run a red light, you should pay and pay enough to make you not do it again," she said.

Becker and Leal are more sympathetic. They agree $476 might be a bit high, but they say state officials set traffic fines and they've been increasing them every year.

Over the past five years, Newark's red light cameras have captured 57,275 potential violations. Of those, 34,589 notices were produced and 27,651 tickets were mailed out.

Those tickets have generated $2.7 million in revenue. The city has paid Redflex a flat fee of $1.5 million during the five-year program.

The state takes the bulk of the leftover revenue, using it mostly in the justice system for courthouse employees, DNA testing and other programs.

The city receives about a third of the money. Becker said they've been getting about $200,000 a year that goes into the general fund. The money, he said, has helped keep some police services that might otherwise have been cut.

He said the contract states the red light camera program must be at least revenue neutral. So far, it has brought in more than it has cost.

Becker said he expects city staff will recommend the contract the police department brings them when they take the issue to the City Council  later this month.