Houston, Texas Attempts to Hide Red Light Camera Safety Data

by The Newspaper

Published: November 2nd, 2010

houston texas attempts to hide red light camera safety data

The city of Houston, Texas sought to keep secret all detailed information about the performance of its red light camera program on the eve of an election that will decide their fate. Yesterday, Paul Kubosh, co-founder of Citizens Against Red Light Cameras, filed suit in Harris County District Court seeking a court order compelling the release of accident data at intersections equipped with automated ticketing machines. Voters head to the polls today to decide whether or not the city will be allowed to continue using the devices.

“The city of Houston is not in compliance with the Texas Public Information Act by reason of failing to release requested public information,” attorney Randall Kallinen wrote in his brief to the court. “The monthly Location Performance Summary Reports from Houston red light camera contractor American Traffic Solutions, Inc., from September 30, 2008, to September 30, 2010, are public records under the Texas Public Information Act and not subject to any exception to release.”

Kubosh had sent his request for these reports on October 5. Under state law, the city had until October 19 to either supply the information or petition the state attorney general for a ruling on why the material should be considered exempt. The city has done neither. The city’s contractor, on the other hand, has been busy undermining the citizen initiative. As of October 25, American Traffic Solutions had spent $1.5 million in legal expenses for its failed effort to block the referendum in addition to an advertising blitz designed to rescue the program.

“Suppression has been the modus operandi by the pro camera advocates during entirety of the campaign — from trying to deny the people the right vote to suppressing data that would expose the lie that is the red light camera,” the anti-camera group’s spokesman, Philip Owens, told TheNewspaper. “Sadly this is nothing new, but we are engaged in the fight and plan on finishing”

The documents are of particular interest because research in the nearby city of Baytown revealed that accidents increased 40 percent at red light camera locations. Baytown is also holding a citizen initiative to ban photo ticketing.

[Courtesy: Thenewspaper.com]

#Crime&Punishment #Law #RedLightCameras #Taxes #Traffic

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4 of 11 comments

CarPerson on Nov 02, 2010

Someone reported you could appeal a camera ticket in their city by sending the appeal to a post office box in Mexico. Not mentioned was if you had to do it in Spanish. Some legislatures have limited the ticket fine to a parking ticket. To beat this, some cities calculated the fine of a Pete tractor-trailer rig blocking 8 handicap spaces and used that as the "parking ticket." Others have used a "normal" parking ticket then thrown a $366 "excise tax" on it to run it up to over $400.

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Wallstreet on Nov 03, 2010

Thanks all. That shameful Prop 3 is defeated. I'm extremely proud of my fellow Houstonians. http://www.click2houston.com/election-results/25568031/detail.html

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- Sajeev Mehta on Nov 03, 2010
  
  Me too!
  
  The Chronicle is spinning this as bad news, because the city is estimated to lose 10 million dollars in revenue: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7276380.html
  
  If they need that money: tax us some more. Don't ticket us and increase the rate of rear end collisions and whatnot...
  
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- Wallstreet on Nov 03, 2010
  
  + 1 SO, it is about the money. As a business owner, I agree with taxing us. At least, I can write off the expense.
  
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