Red light camera revenue dropped from 2011-

2012, Nassau report shows

May 18, 2014 by ROBERT BRODSKY / robert.brodsky@nesday.!o"

Re#en$e %ro" red &'()t !a"era t'!kets 'n *assa$ de!&'ned by "ore t)an 12 +er!ent 'n 2012, t)e %'rst d'+
'n t)e +ro(ra",s t)ree-year )'story, a!!ord'n( to ne !o$nty data.
.'($res %ro" *assa$,s o%%'!'a& 2012 re+ort to t)e state s)o t)at a!!'dents 'n#o&#'n( 'n/$r'es at 01 red-
&'()t-!a"era 'nterse!t'ons dro++ed by an ann$a& a#era(e o% 18 +er!ent s'n!e 'nsta&&at'on, !o"+ared
't) t)e 12-"ont) +er'od be%ore t)e !a"eras ere +$t 'n +&a!e.
Rear-end !ras)es dro++ed by an a#era(e o% near&y 12 +er!ent, !o"+ared 't) a 20 +er!ent 'n!rease 'n
S$%%o&k 3o$nty %or t)e sa"e +er'od, )'!) be(an 'ts red &'()t !a"era +ro(ra" 'n 2010, one year a%ter
*assa$.
4n 2012, *assa$,s red &'()t !a"era +ro(ra" (enerated 522.2 "'&&'on 'n %'nes and %ees, a!!ord'n( to t)e
data, )'!) ere !o"+'&ed by t)e !o$nty.
6"er'!an Tra%%'! So&$t'ons, t)e +r'#ate #endor t)at 'nsta&&ed and o+erates t)e syste", as +a'd 51.2
"'&&'on -- abo$t 74 +er!ent o% tota& re#en$e. *assa$ +ays t)e %'r" a +er!enta(e o% t)e %'nes and
+ena&t'es +a'd by "otor'sts, !o$nty s+okes"an Br'an *e#'n sa'd. S$%%o&k +ays 'ts #endor, 8ero9 State
and :o!a& So&$t'ons, 42 +er!ent o% t'!ket re#en$e and )a&% o% t)e 520 &ate %ees.
4n 2011, *assa$,s red &'()t !a"eras +rod$!ed 52;.1 "'&&'on 'n re#en$e -- a 10 +er!ent 'n!rease %ro"
2010, )en t)ey (enerated 514.2 "'&&'on 'n re#en$e. 6"er'!an Tra%%'! So&$t'ons as +a'd 58.7 "'&&'on
'n 2011 and 54.4 "'&&'on 'n 2010.
T)e %'rst red &'()t !a"eras ere 'nsta&&ed at !o$nty 'nterse!t'ons 'n 2002, )en *assa$ re!e'#ed 52.4
"'&&'on 'n +ro(ra" re#en$e %or t)e +art'a& year, and +a'd 6"er'!an Tra%%'! So&$t'ons 5;00,000.
S$++orters say t)e +ro(ra" )as boosted +$b&'! sa%ety by en!o$ra('n( "otor'sts to dr'#e "ore
!a$t'o$s&y. 3r't'!s say t)e !a"eras are "ere&y re#en$e (enerators, !a+t$r'n( "'nor 'n%ra!t'ons, s$!) as
s&o ro&&'n( t)ro$() r'()t t$rns. .'nes are 500 +er #'o&at'on, +&$s a 570 ad"'n'strat'#e %ee.
T)e 2012 re+ort !o"es as o%%'!'a&s +re+are to 'nsta&& s+eed !a"eras 'n a&& +$b&'! s!)oo& d'str'!ts on
:on( 4s&and, 'n!&$d'n( 0; 'n *assa$. T)e !o$nty 's re&y'n( on "'&&'ons o% do&&ars 'n e9+e!ted re#en$e
%ro" t)e s+eed !a"eras to )e&+ +ay %or ne &abor !ontra!ts %or $n'on'<ed !o$nty e"+&oyees. T)e
&e('s&at$re 's to #ote Monday on a !ontra!t %or 6"er'!an Tra%%'! So&$t'ons to o+erate and 'nsta&& t)e
s+eed !a"eras, o%%'!'a&s sa'd.

Motorists more careful
3)r's M'stron, *assa$,s tra%%'! sa%ety !oord'nator, sa'd t)e d'+ 'n re#en$e and a!!'dents as d$e to
"otor'sts dr'#'n( "ore !are%$&&y -- not on&y at !a"era 'nterse!t'ons, b$t a&so on s$rro$nd'n( roadays.
=T)'s +ro(ra" 's )a#'n( a &on(-ter" +os't'#e e%%e!t on sa%ety 'n *assa$,= M'stron sa'd.
=T)e "ost '"+ortant %a!t 's t)at red &'()t !a"eras )a#e been %o$nd to red$!e %ata&'t'es and ser'o$s
'n/$r'es,= sa'd R'!)ard Rett'n(, d're!tor o% sa%ety resear!) %or Sa" S!)art< En('neer'n(, a
>as)'n(ton, D.3., %'r" t)at does tra%%'! and trans+ortat'on +&ann'n( st$d'es %or +$b&'! and +r'#ate
se!tor !&'ents.
Todd ?a&"'rotto, a ret'red !ar+enter %ro" @&en 3o#e, !o"+&a'ned t)at *assa$ =says 't,s a sa%ety 'ss$e,
b$t 't,s /$st abo$t re#en$e. T)e !o$nty /$st needs to +ay 'ts b'&&s.= ?a&"'rotto, )o says )e )as ne#er
re!e'#ed a red &'()t !a"era t'!ket, ants "ore s'(na(e arn'n( "otor'sts o% t)e !a"eras.
Sa"$e& :'tt, an 'n%or"at'on te!)no&o(y s+e!'a&'st %ro" @reat *e!k, sa'd t)e re#en$es, )'!) !$rrent&y
(o 'nto t)e !o$nty (enera& %$nd, s)o$&d (o to &a en%or!e"ent +ro(ra"s and to '"+ro#'n( area
roadays.
=T)ere 's no tra!eab'&'ty to )ere t)e "oney 's (o'n(,= sa'd :'tt, )o says )e )as ne#er re!e'#ed a red
&'()t !a"era t'!ket. =T)ere 's no "onetary bene%'t to t)e !o""$n'ty. T)ey are /$st $s'n( t)e !a"eras to
"'ne t)e !o$nty.=
T)e !a"eras )a#e !reated a steady and s'(n'%'!ant re#en$e strea" %or bot) *assa$ and S$%%o&k, )'!)
%a!e t'()t b$d(ets and de%'!'ts. *assa$ 3o$nty E9e!$t'#e Edard Man(ano and S$%%o&k E9e!$t'#e
Ste#e Be&&one )a#e +&ed(ed not to 'n!rease +ro+erty ta9es.
*assa$,s re+ort to t)e state, re&eased May 2 at *esday,s reA$est, !o"es 11 "ont)s a%ter t)e dead&'ne
set by t)e 2002 &e('s&at'on t)at a$t)or'<ed t)e %'rst bat!) o% 00 !a"eras ea!) %or *assa$ and S$%%o&k.
M'stron sa'd t)e ana&ys's as de&ayed so *assa$ !o$&d +ro#'de add't'ona& data %or !a"eras 'nsta&&ed 'n
2011 and 2012.
T)e State :e('s&at$re )as s'n!e a$t)or'<ed 00 "ore !a"era &o!at'ons ea!) %or *assa$ and S$%%o&k.
M'stron sa'd t)ere are no !a"eras at 11 *assa$ 'nterse!t'ons, and t)at t)e %'na& 22 s'tes '&& be
se&e!ted soon.
T)e 2012 re+ort s)os "otor'sts +a'd 511.1 "'&&'on 'n tota& %'nes and 511.2 "'&&'on 'n add't'ona& %ees.
More t)an 100 "otor'sts !)a&&en(ed #'o&at'ons 'n !o$rt, s$!!eed'n( abo$t 20 +er!ent o% t)e t'"e, t)e
data s)o.
Fewer crashes, county says
Bno%%'!'a& %'($res %or 2017 s)o re#en$e %ro" red &'()t !a"eras 'n!reased ;0 +er!ent %ro" 2012 as
*assa$ bro$()t "ore !a"eras on&'ne, !o$nty o%%'!'a&s sa'd. T)ere ere 420,;80 #'o&at'ons t)at
(enerated 57;.8 "'&&'on 'n (ross re#en$e 'n 2017, and 6"er'!an Tra%%'! So&$t'ons as +a'd 58.2
"'&&'on, *e#'n sa'd.
*assa$ )as b$d(eted 578 "'&&'on 'n red &'()t !a"era re#en$e %or 2014.
*ear&y 14 +er!ent o% t)e 1.1 "'&&'on red &'()t !a"era t'!kets 'ss$ed by *assa$ 'n t)e +ast %'#e years
)a#e not been +a'd. *assa$ )as )'red a %'r" to !&a ba!k ro$()&y 524.2 "'&&'on 'n $n+a'd #'o&at'ons
and %ees, *e#'n sa'd.
S$%%o&k )as 110,2;2 $n+a'd !'tat'ons tota&'n( 517.4 "'&&'on dat'n( ba!k to 2010, sa'd ?a$& Mar('otta,
e9e!$t'#e d're!tor o% t)e !o$nty,s Tra%%'! and ?ark'n( C'o&at'ons 6(en!y.
*assa$,s re+ort s)os t)at a!!'dents 'n#o&#'n( an 'n/$ry at 'nterse!t'ons 't) !a"eras de!&'ned %ro"
177 t)e year be%ore t)e !a"eras ere 'nsta&&ed to an ann$a& a#era(e o% 022 a%ter t)ey ere +$t 'n +&a!e.
S'de-'"+a!t !ras)es ent %ro" 021 t)e year be%ore 'nsta&&at'ons to an ann$a& a#era(e o% 711 t)ro$()
2012.
Dead-on !ras)es de!&'ned %ro" 88 to an ann$a& a#era(e o% 47, )'&e rear-end !o&&'s'ons d'++ed %ro" an
a#era(e o% 1,002 to 810.
O#era&&, t)ere ere 1,82; a!!'dents at t)e 01 'nterse!t'ons t)e year be%ore t)e !a"eras ere 'nsta&&ed
and an a#era(e o% 1,442 +er year a%terard, t)e ana&ys's s)os.
4n S$%%o&k, tota& !a"era re#en$e dro++ed by 24 +er!ent 'n 2012 !o"+ared 't) 2011 as "otor'sts
be!a"e "ore aare o% !a"eras at do<ens o% 'nterse!t'ons, o%%'!'a&s sa'd. 6!!'dents 'n#o&#'n( 'n/$r'es
d'++ed by an a#era(e o% 10 +er!ent ann$a&&y !o"+ared 't) t)e 12-"ont) +er'od be%ore !a"eras ere
'nsta&&ed. B$t rear-end !o&&'s'ons /$"+ed an a#era(e o% near&y 20 +er!ent a year 'n S$%%o&k as dr'#ers )'t
t)e brakes to a#o'd t'!kets.
M'stron e9+&a'ned t)e dro+ 'n rear-enders 'n *assa$ by say'n( roads t)ere ty+'!a&&y are "ore !on(ested
t)an 'n S$%%o&k, &ead'n( to s&oer dr'#'n( s+eeds and &ess r'sk o% rear-end !o&&'s'ons.
Rett'n( sa'd nat'ona& %'nd'n(s on rear-end !ras)es at red &'()t !a"era 'nterse!t'ons are 'n!ons'stent,
't) so"e st$d'es s)o'n( 'n!reases and ot)ers de!reases. De sa'd t)e d$rat'on o% t)e ye&&o s'(na&,
tra%%'! s+eeds and dr'#er aareness !an +&ay a ro&e.
Ryan :yn!), asso!'ate d're!tor o% t)e Tr'-State Trans+ortat'on 3a"+a'(n, a non+ro%'t ded'!ated to
red$!'n( !ar de+enden!y 'n *e York, *e Eersey and 3onne!t'!$t, noted t)at *assa$ be(an 'ts
!a"era +ro(ra" a year be%ore S$%%o&k, +ro#'d'n( "otor'sts 't) "ore t'"e to ad/$st t)e'r dr'#'n(
)ab'ts.
:yn!) sa'd *assa$,s stat'st'!s &ar(e&y "'rror ot)er "$n'!'+a&'t'es )ere a!!'dents de!&'ne t)e &on(er t)e
!a"eras are o+erat'ona&.
=Motor'sts are dr'#'n( "ore !a$t'o$s&y, "ak'n( t)e roads sa%er %or t)e" and e#eryone aro$nd t)e",= )e
sa'd.
>'t) Da#'d M. S!)art<