Speed Camera Ban Deferred at Senate Committee
Today, the state legislature deferred SB 75, which would have prohibited local municipalities from using electronic vehicle speed enforcement systems to regulate traffic laws.
Red Light Camera Revenue has Increased 419 percent since 2008
New Orleans Annual Operating Budget indicates that the city government has increased its reliance on revenue from red light and speed cameras to cover holes in the operating budget. Revenue from red light cameras, for example, has increased from $3.4 million in 2008 to an projected $18 million in 2011, an increase of 419 percent.
Automated Speed Cameras Face State-Wide Ban
As Louisiana municipalities struggle to mend their financial straits, New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu may soon be without one of his most productive, yet controversial revenue generators: automated speed cameras.
Commentary: Finding a Middle Ground on Traffic Cameras
The State Legislature has essentially killed a bill that would have done away with the much-maligned red light/traffic cameras. House Bill 160 byRep. Jeff Arnold (D-Algiers) was the first of five which sought to either eliminate or place restrictions on the implementation of these cameras. While proponents of the cameras have repeated the chorus that…
Another Victory Over Red-Light Cameras
Due process won a victory in New Orleans last week. A civil court appeals judge threw out a traffic ticket (for a right turn on red) because there was no human witness to the infraction. The ruling comes a few months after Jefferson Parish temporarily suspended the program amid questions about the propriety of a…
Commentary: Traffic Cameras Not the Answer for New Orleans
NPR reports on a public backlash in Arizona against the state’s use of highway traffic cameras, similar to the controversial cameras in New Orleans. This has resulted in Governor Jan Brewer announcing that she will not renew the state’s contract with Redflex, the Australian “photo enforcement” company hired to install and maintain the cameras. Meanwhile,…