One of the things CCA does best-we think-is to provide an open forum for your ideas, suggestions and thoughts about town issues. The discussion about having cameras on Route 1 has prompted a flood of emails into our inbox. We are trying to run them all-the comments range from pro to con for these cameras. We did receive a note from the Foote family sending us their recent Letter to the Editor they wrote below.
Dear Editor,
We were so pleased and heartened to see that the Town of Charlestown is now calling for traffic light cameras at intersections as an effective means of deterring drivers from running red lights and causing serious injury or death. After the tragic death of our son, Colin Foote, in May of 2010, we formed ColinsLaw.Org as a federally recognized non-profit organization with a singular mission - Saving Lives Through Safer Roads.
We have been diligently working with lawmakers, technology providers, and government agencies for more than a year to bring this NO COST red-light camera technology to the forefront and help make it a reality, especially in Charlestown.
We applaud the unanimous support of the Town Council to endorse the deployment of this technology in our town to protect the lives of our citizens and visitors. We will continue our work to make our roads safer not only in Charlestown, but across the State. If we are able to deter drivers from dangerously driving through red lights and putting themselves and others at risk, then we will consider the work of ColinsLaw.Org a success.
Sincerely,
Robin and Maryann Foote
Here are some of your comments:
I commend the open dialogue on the issue of red light cameras. I like the idea, but instead of having them at red lights, why not install them at stop signs and randomly along route 1 and route 1A. Install signs that say you will be ticketed if you do not obey the speed and traffic signs. There will always be someone who runs a red light, whether on purpose or by accident. I don’t believe these cameras will prevent that. But if we placed them strategically around town, I think they could help more overall without the danger of people trying to stop or beat the light. And it would create revenue quite regularly, a nice bonus to the town. I don’t have a speeding problem so this issue doesn’t bother me. These cameras are however a great resource should an accident occur at the site of it’s installation. Big brother watching over us is a ridiculous argument. If you’re not doing anything wrong, these cameras shouldn’t bother you. They are in parking lots, stores, malls, banks, some schools, etc. I live in town near the Nordic Lodge and they have over the past year installed another stop sign near our home. Almost daily, I get someone who has run the stop sign, at full speed, purposefully/lazily, and almost hits us. It is a 3 way stop and only one of those directions usually stop. Our intersection alone would probably cover one town salary!!
I guessed the small bump over a traffic light was a camera, set to go off when a vehicle entered the intersection on a red light. The driver would receive a photo and a summons. It seemed a good preventive measure. As for “Big Brother” anxiety-it could also be interpreted as appropriate parental vigilence. We DO need looking-after, because of careless/reckless drivers assuming lax enforcement of safety regulations. Could the proposed cameras track progress of a vehicle being pursued by police-separate from the red-light function?
People have implied Charlestown residents don’t care about traffic fatalities. Last time I checked, drunk, drugged up, or sleep deprived people don’t stop at red lights because of cameras, they are too drunk to notice. People are right to be concerned about too short yellows, or getting ticketed for a right on red turn. If you do this you want to make sure to get a vendor that is sensitive to that. The vendor makes money and may not want to make it too easy to make the yellow. It’s fully reasonable that people are not perfectly informed about an issue. It’s okay to discuss things-that is why I like what CCA does as a community service-keep it up.
Regarding the comment that impaired drivers won’t see signs warning of red light cameras: You are probably correct, but if they get enough tickets because of the cameras, maybe that could get their license taken away before they kill someone.
Where do people get the idea that the yellow lights will be shorthened, sounds like a bunch of who shot John. The red light cameras are a great idea. If you don’t run the lights you don’t have to worry that your picture was taken.
I am against red light cameras. I would like to say that during the past hurricane power outage I was often driving on the section of Rt 1, where for several days lights did not work. From what I observed people were careful and respectful of one another. Lastly there are places, like the curve on West Beach Road near Old West Beach Road where speeding and reckless driving are a daily occurrence. People on their way to the breachway in the mornings fly down the road and around the corners. At the end of the day when they return they drive even faster-and some of them have been consuming alcohol. Contractors who flow in and out of Central Beach all day long almost always speed-some of them are driving heavy equipment. I have seen this on a daily basis for years. The speed limit is 25mph there. I have never seen a police car set a radar trap in that area-they do have a trap further toward Rt 1 once in a while in the summer. This is a matter of public safety-it’s real right now. I would expect there are numerous other places in Charlestown where the police could enforce speed limits and stop sign locations right now, without cameras. Local government already tinkers with our lives enough as it is. Our taxes are already insanely high and we get little for them. Cameras are just another form of taxation and control of our lives. When will this crap stop?
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We need to start a discussion on our Fire Tax Rates. As you know we all just received our current Fire Tax Bills and the overall rate is up 11.76%. The mil rate went from 51 cents per thousand to 57 cents per thousand. My individual tax bill went up 17.85%
I know that we are building a new Fire Station in Town, but we where told at the meeting to vote on approval for the funding ($2,800,000) that the New Fire Station would not effect our tax rates as the Fire District was going to finance the building over 40 years with HUD at a low interest rate. Can some one from the Fire District please explain the Town wide 11.7% rate increase.
I hope that the Old Cross Mills Station will now be disposed of so that we the taxpayers do not do not have to support the repairs and maintence that are needed. We where told that was the reason the District needed the new station. I would appreciate any comments.
I’m from Florida where we have Traffic Light Cameras and our town is trying to get out of the contract. The DMV was advised not to but chose to sign the contract anyway because it was going to be no cost to the town. The company that own and maintains the equipment get a percentage from each ticket and the town gets the balance of the money. What was over looked is that the police department had to put a patrolman full time on reviewing the video data before mailing the ticket. Also most of the people who pleaded not guilty and went to court were found to be not guilty, but the police department had to have someone retrieve the video data and go to court which used up a lot of man hours. So in the end the town ending up not making much money but the police department spent more time in court and not on the street. What I don’t like about Traffic Light Cameras it takes all human judgment out of to write a ticket or not and the company setting up the equipment has a incentive to generate more tickets because that’s how they get paid.
Proposal for Stopping at Traffic Signals
If we were to ask how many seconds does the caution (amber) light show before going to red, my supposition would be not many Rhode Island drivers know the answer. They may guess correctly, but therein lays the problem. We either don’t know or we guess and drivers make their driving decisions about stopping or speeding up based on that information.
How can the State or town help drivers understand on what they are betting their lives and the lives of other drivers? At most stop lights there is a white lie which is supposed to be the stop line. There is also a white line perpendicular to that stop line, supposedly to keep the slowing vehicles in their current lanes. Remember, you cannot switch lanes at a traffic signal or intersection.
My suggestion is to use that lane separating line as an indicator of when you should stop. For example, if the light turns amber in a 50 mph zone and you haven’t reached the line, you stop. No question about it. If you are doing the speed limit and you have passed the beginning of the line, then you probably can proceed through the intersection without jacking up the car behind you.
How long should the line be? The following table shows stopping distances:
Recommendation:
The State or town should paint the stop line with iridescent white and the perpendicular lane line with iridescent amber. This helps in night driving. The length of the line should conform to the table distances bases on amber delay time. The line would be suggested decision points but not become a punitive issue. In other words, this is a help to drivers as are many road signs. This does not reflect on the need for traffic cameras at intersections.
Well I guess that everyone has an opinion, however where are the facts!!?? Lots of supposition, “What if this”, and “What if that!!” And…. the beat goes on. I suppose one could post a police officer at each traffic light, and that would have the same affect/effect as a camera; only instant ticket instead of by mail!! Then there was the comment about a police officer from California stating, “You don’t want them !!” Well this is Charlestown, not California; and, maybe they didn’t work in California. Our area is unique, as in once upon the time Rt. 1 was state of the art for when it was built; however populations and modes of travel change drastically; more and faster vehicles. Then there was the comment about how everyone seemed to be obeying the law and driving carefully during the power outage during the hurricane. I personally know of one accident that occurred during the power outage at the junction of Rt. 1 and East Beach Road. That accident involved speed and damages ran into the $1000s of dollar, and… one person went to the hospital; that is fact!! Cameras only help to keep the honest people honest, that is it, and it is not any different than putting locks on doors or bars on windows. Cameras are going to be placed in the town at no expense to the taxpayer, why not see if they work!!?? We have a police chief who has worked for the Town of Charlestown for many years, and he knows the town and he knows the people who live and drive in the town. If he recommended the lights, perhaps it would be good if we supported him and let him do his job. If the cameras save one life, then it is all worth it. And.. thank you CCA I feel that the opinions are great and that an open forum is good for government, and I am glad that everyone has an opportunity to express their thoughts.