Watch for flash: Radar operating on Loop 101

[Klaus]

Watch for flash: Radar operating on Loop 101
Turning racetrack back into a freeway

Carol Sowers and Elias C. Arnold
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 24, 2006 12:00 AM


Missy Palmer knew exactly what the flash meant when it went off early Monday morning on Loop 101 at Shea Boulevard.

"The blood kind of rushes out of you and then you hope it's not you," the 20-year-old Gilbert resident said. "I'm not going to lie, I usually go 80 just because it's the freeway."

Palmer may be one of the first to receive a warning citation. Scottsdale launched its photo-enforcement program on Sunday.

Photo-enforcement cameras caught up to 2,000 drivers during the first 24 hours as Scottsdale became the first city in the nation to digitally patrol its freeway.

Motorists such as Palmer say they have already noted a change in driving habits. However, Palmer said she may get a few more warnings before she slows down.

Motorists caught going 76 mph or faster will get warning citations until Feb. 22when the city begins issuing fines that will average $157.

Mary O'Connor, Scottsdale's transportation general manager, said some of the 1,000 to 2,000 flashes recorded on a 7.8-mile stretch of the highway on Sunday may have caught emergency vehicles legally exceeding the speed limit. She said it is "less likely to be malfunctions."

Camera operator Redflex Traffic Systems will report more accurate numbers in about a week, O'Connor said.

There were no statistics for Monday.

Although lawmakers and others have criticized using photo enforcement on a freeway, Gov. Janet Napolitano has been supportive of Scottsdale's program, and city officials say cameras have drastically reduced speeding on surface streets.

Officials hope the technology will have the same effect on the Loop 101 between the exits for 90th Street and Scottsdale Road.

As early as September 2004, radar guns and mechanical traffic counters showed that of the 62,000 cars on that slice of the freeway, 2 percent, or 1,240, were traveling 76 mph or more.

That number is consistent with the number of speeders photographed Sunday. Both northbound and southbound traffic is monitored.

If photo enforcement reduces speeders and collisions, the trial may be extended by Scottsdale or another agency.

However, critics warn that Scottsdale has no place monitoring a state highway and that cameras can't replace officers who can spot drunk drivers, said Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa.

Pearce has sponsored one of seven bills targeting photo enforcement. The bills range from banning the technology on all freeways to forcing Scottsdale to detour revenue from its citations into other state funds.

But O'Connor said the city needs the revenue to defray the $10 million cost of the program through June 30.

O'Connor says photo enforcement has had a good track record on Scottsdale streets since it began in 1997. For example, when the cameras were turned on in 2004 on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard between Scottsdale Road and the Greenway-Hayden Loop, they caught one speeder every two minutes.

Eight months later, that number had dropped to 1.7 an hour.

Still, motorists and others have complained that the cameras' flashing lights are too bright and that they force drivers to suddenly stomp on their brakes.

Officer Frank Valenzuela of the Arizona Department of Public Safety said there is no record of the cameras causing rear-end collisions or the flash affecting drivers' vision.

Pam Mill, 44, of Scottsdale, said the cameras clearly forced drivers to slow down on Monday.

"People are finally driving normal," she said, adding that Scottsdale's portion of Loop 101 is no longer a racetrack.

[Klaus]

Watch for flash: Radar operating on Loop 101
Turning racetrack back into a freeway

Carol Sowers and Elias C. Arnold
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 24, 2006 12:00 AM


Missy Palmer knew exactly what the flash meant when it went off early Monday morning on Loop 101 at Shea Boulevard.

"The blood kind of rushes out of you and then you hope it's not you," the 20-year-old Gilbert resident said. "I'm not going to lie, I usually go 80 just because it's the freeway."

Palmer may be one of the first to receive a warning citation. Scottsdale launched its photo-enforcement program on Sunday.

Photo-enforcement cameras caught up to 2,000 drivers during the first 24 hours as Scottsdale became the first city in the nation to digitally patrol its freeway.

Motorists such as Palmer say they have already noted a change in driving habits. However, Palmer said she may get a few more warnings before she slows down.

Motorists caught going 76 mph or faster will get warning citations until Feb. 22when the city begins issuing fines that will average $157.

Mary O'Connor, Scottsdale's transportation general manager, said some of the 1,000 to 2,000 flashes recorded on a 7.8-mile stretch of the highway on Sunday may have caught emergency vehicles legally exceeding the speed limit. She said it is "less likely to be malfunctions."

Camera operator Redflex Traffic Systems will report more accurate numbers in about a week, O'Connor said.

There were no statistics for Monday.

Although lawmakers and others have criticized using photo enforcement on a freeway, Gov. Janet Napolitano has been supportive of Scottsdale's program, and city officials say cameras have drastically reduced speeding on surface streets.

Officials hope the technology will have the same effect on the Loop 101 between the exits for 90th Street and Scottsdale Road.

As early as September 2004, radar guns and mechanical traffic counters showed that of the 62,000 cars on that slice of the freeway, 2 percent, or 1,240, were traveling 76 mph or more.

That number is consistent with the number of speeders photographed Sunday. Both northbound and southbound traffic is monitored.

If photo enforcement reduces speeders and collisions, the trial may be extended by Scottsdale or another agency.

However, critics warn that Scottsdale has no place monitoring a state highway and that cameras can't replace officers who can spot drunk drivers, said Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa.

Pearce has sponsored one of seven bills targeting photo enforcement. The bills range from banning the technology on all freeways to forcing Scottsdale to detour revenue from its citations into other state funds.

But O'Connor said the city needs the revenue to defray the $10 million cost of the program through June 30.

O'Connor says photo enforcement has had a good track record on Scottsdale streets since it began in 1997. For example, when the cameras were turned on in 2004 on Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard between Scottsdale Road and the Greenway-Hayden Loop, they caught one speeder every two minutes.

Eight months later, that number had dropped to 1.7 an hour.

Still, motorists and others have complained that the cameras' flashing lights are too bright and that they force drivers to suddenly stomp on their brakes.

Officer Frank Valenzuela of the Arizona Department of Public Safety said there is no record of the cameras causing rear-end collisions or the flash affecting drivers' vision.

Pam Mill, 44, of Scottsdale, said the cameras clearly forced drivers to slow down on Monday.

"People are finally driving normal," she said, adding that Scottsdale's portion of Loop 101 is no longer a racetrack.

[Efrain]

What else can I say?