LP Council Inches Closer To Traffic Light Cameras

All four members of the town council favored drafting an ordinance that might pave the way for installation of cameras at the intersection of Interlake Boulevard and U.S. 27 in an effort to curtail red light violators.

Monday's action to have town attorney Bert Harris III prepare language for an ordinance is the first official step by council toward installing cameras. After a photograph of a violator's license plate is snapped, a citation for about $100 would be mailed to violators.

Salesman Larry Mathieson of trafficpax said the cameras are designed to achieve compliance, educate drivers and save lives, with no cost to the town.

Mathieson said any deal would still need to be negotiated and variables including design, amber length, visibility, crash data and citizen input need to be examined before traffipax would consider installation of cameras.

A typical split would land the town 70 percent of any fines collected, while 30 percent might go to traffipax, but only if council passes the yet to be written ordinance and reaches an agreement with trafficpax.

"You don't have to lay down any money and you can really alter driver behavior and therefore improve safety and reduce crashes and fatalities," said Mathieson.

Police Chief Phil Williams introduced the idea to council several months ago and would be charged with choosing a member of the department to act as liaison with the firm. That officer would locally decide innocence or guilt after viewing photos through an Internet connection.

"This will not be like a speed trap," said Williams. "There will be warning signs and a real good educational program."

Councilman Bill Brantley made the motion to draft the ordinance and said he favors eventual installation of cameras.

"I'm a fan of it," said Brantley. "Ninety percent of red light violators are semis - they honk the horn and go on. Start the process."

Councilwoman Debra Worley favored the proposal after learning that officers will be able to monitor the intersection through computers installed in police cruisers, in case of other crimes in the town, such as a bank robbery.

Councilman Charles Wilson said he had witnessed several "near misses" at the intersection.

Jurisdiction is locally controlled and Mathieson said that insurance companies would not be notified of infractions and no points would added to an individual's state driving records.

Mathieson said the town of Gulf Breeze uses cameras with no penalty for those who refuse to pay. He said that Lake Placid could make a decision - depending on the ordinance drafted - to hire a collection agency or to report violators who refuse to pay up to the credit bureaus, or forbid those who don't pay when found guilty from obtaining town permits.

Even with no way to collect when a violator refuses to pay, Gulf Breeze collects - with 60 to 70 violations per month at a single intersection - 70 percent compliance, even with no follow-up mechanism.

"People see the photograph sent to them in the mail, see their vehicle and the gig is up," said Mathieson. "Most people don't want to have that outstanding debt out there."