Red Light Revenue

The law giveth; the law taketh away.

I read with some amusement in today’s edition of the Knoxville News Sentinel that Reflex,the company charged with the installation and operation of the Town of Farragut’s infamous red light enforcement cameras (a.k.a. ‘revenue cameras’), has filed suit against the Town over the law enacted last summer by the state legislature which significantly weakens the reach of the cameras.

In the wake of the so-called Public Chapter 425 – which essentially prevents municipalities such as the TOF from issuing tickets for improper ‘right turn on red’ turns – the Town stopped giving out said tickets.

Among the many claims in the lawsuit filed in Knox County Chancery Court, Redflex claims that the law has cut into its profits. Well, I gotta hand it to them for being honest about that. It’s really the first time I’ve ever heard Redflex admit that the ticket cameras are really a money-making venture.

Back when they made their pitch to the citizens of the Town of Farragut, the cameras were all about proper enforcement of the law and about increasing public safety. They were going to crack down on the scores of drivers in Farragut who routinely run red lights.

No one disputes those are worthwhile endeavors. As the father of two driving teens, I welcome anything that makes the road safer for young drivers.

Thus, I was willing to be open-minded about this measure until one night when I was sitting at a red light – corner of Kingston Pike and Campbell Station – and a large SUV went blazing through the intersection after the light had turned. Instinctively, I looked up at the camera waiting to see the trademark flash of light. But it never came.

I witnessed something similar a few weeks later. It occurred to me, at that point, this wasn’t really a public safety exercise but rather a free enterprise effort. And that’s when my opinion turned. I think I wasn’t the only one.

Reading The Farragut Press’ “Presstalk” section – where readers can call in to express a view – opinions were pretty strong on both sides of the issue. But the callers were against the cameras about 2-1. And, the issues over and over again were about the rolling red entrapment.

No one ever complained about being ticketed for running a red light. It made me wonder…does…anyone…get…ticketed for running a red light? Surely they do. But the rolling reds were were the hot-button issue.

Full disclosure: I’ve never received a red light ticket from the Town of Farragut and neither has anyone living under my roof. My issue was how this was rolled out. I just didn’t appreciate the ‘bait-and-switch’ approach. “The bottom line is about public safety. Strike that. It’s about the bottom line.”

My dad got one of those citations about a year ago and he was pretty irate about it. Consider him part of the revenue stream – a revenue stream that has since dried up. Hence the lawsuit.

And hence the honest verbiage by Redflex that this enterprise is really all about making a buck. Read a copy of the suit if you get a chance. They’re pretty up front about it.

And now, the future of the issue in the near-term seems to be heading toward the courts. No matter how it turns out, I’m sure a slew of callers will be dialing in to express their views.

Meanwhile, my advice: be sure to come to a full and complete stop at intersections and make sure you are fully behind the white line. In that case, you should be okay every time.

JG

(Source: knoxnews.com)

Originally posted 11/17/2011