Snarl...you’re on red light camera on The Murfreesboro Post

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By: BY MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer

Motorists beware. The new automated camera system that will catch red-light runners in the act starts today.

“We’re installing these cameras to try and improve safety at these intersections,” Deputy City Manager Rob Lyons said. “Obviously because of the cost involved, this is not a revenue producer. So, we’re not in it for the money.”

The city wants to increase safety by preventing side-angle collisions, or T-bones, caused by running lights. These intersections were chosen specifically because they have the most crashes and injuries resulting from red-light running, Murfreesboro Police Department Spokesman Kyle Evans said.

The first three cameras – at Memorial and Northfield boulevards, South Rutherford and Mercury boulevards, and South Church Street and Middle Tennessee Boulevard – will be operational Sunday.

A 30-day grace period begins the same day and warning citations will be issued to owners of cars who scoff at traffic laws and run red lights.

The remaining three intersections – Old Fort Parkway and West Thompson Lane, Northwest Broad Street and West Northfield Boulevard and Broad and South Church streets – will be ready Tuesday, July 1.

The cameras will monitor the intersections with an electronic node in the street, which senses when a car passes over the stop line after the light has turned red. The camera then takes pictures that are transmitted to MPD to be reviewed by a police officer.

“The citation will only be issued if a vehicle runs a red light. If your vehicle is in the intersection as the light turns red, you will not be cited,” MPD Maj. David Hudgens explained.

Civil citations for $50 will be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner only when license plates are clearly visible and the vehicle clearly crosses into the intersection after the light turns red, Evans said.

The citations will not affect either driving records or insurance rates.
Photographic evidence will be mailed with the citation. The evidence can also be viewed at kiosks at the City Clerk’s Office and the Murfreesboro Police Department.

Violators can either pay the fine by mail, at the kiosks or online at www.safecitystreets.com/murfreesboro.

Citations may be contested in court at an additional $113.50 in court costs, if found guilty.

In cases where the driver is not the tag holder, a sworn statement will be accepted in court.

In 2007, Murfreesboro City Council approved an automated red light camera system to improve safety and help with traffic flow, officials said.

“If you have people running the red lights constantly, then it defeats the purpose of timing the lights,” Evans said, noting even he has sat through lights where cars keep coming after it has turned.

Evans noted other benefits to the community, such as freeing up police officers to prevent crime and answer emergency calls.

To run a red light campaign, Evans explained, takes three to five officers for a single intersection.

With the cameras a single officer can monitor the six intersections, which keeps more cops on the streets.

The city contracted with Traffipax, Inc. to install and operate the automated system at a cost of more than $30 thousand per month.

Traffipax is the nation’s largest automated traffic enforcement companies, said company representative Dan Folgton. The company operates more than 10,000 cameras and has installed the most technologically advanced system in Tennessee at Murfreesboro’s intersections.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 869-0816 or mwillard@ murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under CITY, RED-LIGHT CAMERAS

Member Opinions:

By: bota on 6/1/08
Now is the time for all the "experts" to try out their sure fire ways to beat the rap whether it be with the "stealth" gadgets or legalese. It is also a good time for the local media to start keeping some stats on rear end collisions at monitored intersections (before and after). That would make for some comments.

By: carolineS on 2/3/11
Red light video cameras are being installed in a growing number of United States cities. This strategy is a good way of lowering the cases of traffic crashes especially during the night. Study proves red light cameras reduce traffic fatalities. Red light cameras are looked upon by most motorists as cash cows rather than traffic safety equipment. But a drop in traffic fatalities, as well as a rise in revenues, has been attributed to red light cameras in an insurance industry study.