AGENDA #1

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Mayor and Town Council

FROM:            W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager

SUBJECT:       Public Forum on a Proposal to Implement Electronic Traffic Surveillance for Red Light Enforcement in Chapel Hill

DATE:             January 16, 2001

The purpose of this forum is to receive public comments on a proposal to implement electronic traffic surveillance to monitor red light violations in Chapel Hill.

BACKGROUND

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) estimates that over 800 deaths occur annually as a result of red light running. The IIHS further reports that fatal crashes at signalized intersections increased by 24 percent from 1992 to 1997. A 1990-1991 study of urban police reports indicated that 22 percent of all urban crashes resulted from running traffic controls. Of these, 24 percent involved running red lights. Consequently, red light running has attracted the attention of federal, state, and local officials. With police resources declining in relation to the number of vehicles on the road, local officials have begun exploring the use of cameras to detect traffic signal violators and support enforcement actions.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) created the “Stop Red Light Running Program” in 1995 as a community-based safety program. This campaign raised awareness of the dangers of red light running and helped to reduce accidents in many of the participating communities. A report released by the FHWA shows that red light violations decreased by as much as 60 percent at intersections where automatic cameras are used to enforce the law.

The main objectives of this program are:

1.      To decrease the number of accidents caused by the traffic signal violations.

2.      To increase the public awareness of safe driving.

3.      To augment police enforcement and allow other uses of available police resources.

4.      To decrease the number of traffic violations at intersections.

The program has been successfully implemented in several states including California, New York, Maryland, Florida, and North Carolina.  In North Carolina, the cities of Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, High Point and Wilmington have implemented this program. This program is endorsed by the Institute of Insurance for Highway Safety and N.C. Department of the Transportation.  Program funding assistance is available from the FHWA to assist municipalities in establishing local programs.

On May 8, 2000, the Town Council approved a resolution requesting the State enabling legislation that would allow Chapel Hill to enforce the red light violations using video surveillance technology.  The State legislature subsequently approved an amendment to G.S. 160A-300.1 which authorizes Chapel Hill to use photographic images as prima facie evidence of traffic signal violations. A copy of the approved bill and General Statute 160A-300.1 are attached for reference.

On October 23, 2000 the Council received a staff report about electronic traffic surveillance and its potential for use in Chapel Hill. Please see Attachment #6.  The Council subsequently directed the Manager to schedule this public forum to solicit citizen comments about the possible use of electronic traffic surveillance. The Council also referred this item to the Town’s Transportation Board, and Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Board for review and recommendations.

Recommendations from the Boards

DISCUSSION

We have studied established programs in other communities and discussed possible implementation processes with our counterparts around the State.

In a typical program, cameras would capture a photographic image of any vehicle running a red light at a designated intersection.  For example, each of Charlotte’s red light photo enforcement intersections, is comprised of a 35mm camera atop a 15-foot pole. When the signal turns to the red phase and after a .03 second grace period, the system becomes active. Once the system activates, a vehicle traveling over 15 mph will trigger the camera to take one rear photograph of the vehicle showing the red phase of the signal and verifying that the traffic signal turned red before the vehicle entered the intersection. A second rear photograph captures the vehicle in the intersection during the red phase.

A citation would be issued to the registered owner of the vehicle in violation, based on the license plate number identified in the photo. A citation would involve a civil penalty in the form of a fine (similar to a parking violation), and would not result in assessment of driver’s license points or insurance points.

An impartial appeal process would be established to receive and evaluate evidence regarding violations resulting in citations under the program. An administrative hearing process would be established with impartial parties as hearing officers.  Attachment 5 includes a description of the rules/procedures of City of Fayetteville for administrative hearings.

In North Carolina municipalities have contracted with private companies to install the cameras and other equipment, monitor them, send out penalty notices and collect fines.  The fine revenue covers the costs of the contract as well as providing some revenue to the municipality.

If the Council decides to proceed with a similar program, we would propose the following process for the Council’s consideration regarding implementation of a video traffic surveillance program in Chapel Hill:

1.                  Adopt a local ordinance

2.                  Request proposals from program services contractors

3.                  Select contractor based on criteria in the Request for Proposals

4.                  Prepare program service agreement for Town Council consideration

5.                  Implement program, if so authorized by the Council.

This procedure has proven effective in other municipalities, and we think it would work well in Chapel Hill.  Copies of Request for Proposal documents and agreements from other communities in North Carolina are available for review in the Engineering Department.

The program would be self-supporting, with no significant direct costs to the Town, because it would be financed entirely by the citation revenue. Under the proposed contractual agreement, the Town would receive a certain portion of the $50 citation penalty approved by the N.C. General Assembly for each violation and the contractor would retain the rest. The Town portion can be utilized towards the appeal process, a public information program or any other public purpose. While we would not recommend as a priority using traffic cameras as a source of revenue, all of the North Carolina programs to date have shown a net gain after paying for contract services to operate and administer the program.

Intersections would be selected for surveillance based on the severity of red light violations as evaluated by the program contractor.  If the contractor’s study of Chapel Hill intersections determines that there is not a significant red light violation problem here, we would recommend that the Council not implement a program.  Typically, video surveillance of an intersection is not practical unless 20-25 red light violations occur each day.

Please refer to Attachment #2 which lists commonly asked questions and provides answers regarding red-light running programs.

CONCLUSION

We think that the use of video surveillance may make sense in Chapel Hill to both reduce violations and accidents, and to extend our available traffic law enforcement resources.

We believe that the program could be practical and effective while treating all citizens fairly.  We would include an administrative appeals process, which would give drivers ample opportunity to have violations and citations impartially reviewed.

We think this program would provide an opportunity for the Town to improve intersection safety conditions for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.

NEXT STEPS

Following tonight’s forum, we will compile the comments received and report back to the Council with recommendations regarding the possible implementation of electronic traffic surveillance in Chapel Hill.

ATTACHMENTS

1.                  Senate Bill 1447 and G.S. 160A-300.1 (p. 5).

2.                  Commonly asked questions and answers (p. 8).

3.                  “Red Light Cameras” General Information from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (p. 10).

4.                  Example of typical citation (p. 12).

5.                  Example of appeal hearing procedure (p.13).

6.         Memorandum to Council October 23, 2000 (p. 15).