Red-light cameras coming to Denver
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published December 20, 2007 at 12:30 a.m.
Denver drivers may want to hit the brakes the next time they're tempted to run a red light.
After years of delays in the contracting process, the city is getting ready to install red- light cameras at four busy intersections with lots of violations.
It'll be just the beginning of Big Brother's reign over red- light runners in Denver.
In the future, the city wants to install additional red-light cameras, which are credited with reducing collisions in some cities. In Aurora, for example, major accidents fell 60 percent at an intersection that's part of a pilot program.
"The feedback is that (the cameras) can even detect if it's a bad hair day, and you can't deny you did it because it's pretty much right there," Councilwoman Marcia Johnson said Wednesday.
Denver is finalizing a one- year, $838,800 contract with RedFlex Traffic Systems, which will install the cameras, issue citations and track delinquent accounts, among other responsibilities.
Once the cameras are up and running - it's unknown exactly when that will happen - the city will conduct a 30-day trial run and issue motorists warnings.
But after a month, violators will have to pay $75 for each citation.
Suspected red-light runners will receive notification in the mail with four pictures: the vehicle before it enters the intersection, the vehicle in the intersection, the license plate and the driver's face.
The notices will include a pin number that allows recipients to go online and see a 12-second video of the violation to help them decide if they want to pay the citation or fight it.
Police will review the four pictures and video before a notice is mailed, to make sure that a violation occurred.
"They'll review all the circumstances of the violation and then make a determination to accept it or reject it," said Wade Bettisworth, director of sales and marketing for RedFlex's western region.
chacond@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5099
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December 20, 2007
11:03 a.m.
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AC writes:
So where are these four intersections? What is causing the violations there? Why would drivers run those red lights but not others?