Nov 5, 2007

Don't follow leaders; watchin' parkin' meters 2


Traffic cameras lead to lower city revenues!

The Metropolitan Police Department's photo radar and red light camera programs seem to be working, and that's translating to a lot less money in the city's coffers.

Police spokeswoman Traci Hughes says the fact that there are about 250,000 fewer violators this year than previous years mean that the cameras are working and people are slowing down. D.C. operates 49 red-light cameras and about 25 radar cameras.

According to statistics provided by the mayor's office, 63,402 drivers were caught by cameras running red lights in fiscal 2007, which ended Sept. 30, compared with 80,475 in fiscal 2006. The numbers for photo radar were more dramatic -- 340,454 speeding tickets in fiscal 2007 compared with 582,717 in 2006.

Photo radar generated $31 million in 2007, $22 million less than the year before. Photo red light generated $6.4 million in 2007 compared with $8.5 million in 2006.

Tickets given out by actual officers, however, did not decrease. Officers issued 103,231 moving violations in 2006 and 102,627 in 2007. Ticket revenue for those citations dropped by $1.4 million.

Information from: The Washington Examiner

Suck on that, Todd and Richie!

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