DeSoto City Council approves traffic cameras in 5-2 vote

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

The DeSoto City Council, departing from its normal 7-all voting pattern, has decided to proceed with the installation of an automated traffic signal program.

In a 5-2 vote, the council approved a contract to partner with Traffipax, the U.S. subsidiary of international Robot Visual Systems utilizing traffic safety systems, and an ordinance, despite apprehensions from the two dissenting voters. Councilmen Carl Williams and Sandy Respess said they saw no need for using cameras in a city without a problem of dangerous intersections.

Elected in May, Respess said he voted against the Traffipax contract and new city ordinance because city staff provided no evidence that the cameras would curb an existing or emerging situation.

“In fact, staff said there wasn't a problem,” Respess said. “And the cameras are not focusing on what I consider to be critical areas, such as school zones.

“I just see no clear-cut benefit of having the cameras in place,” he said, “particularly when areas such as the state of Virginia, Washington, D.C., and other municipalities are looking at eliminating the cameras.”

Some studies Respess said he has seen indicated that cameras actually increase the potential for problems. He said it would be different if the city was considering changes to the actual traffic lights, such as increasing the time a light stayed on the cautionary yellow light.

“The bottom line is that city staff didn't present any compelling evidence toward its case of installing cameras would do a great deal of good for the citizens of DeSoto,” he said.

Respess said he did not care for the language of the contract because it dictates that the city has to oversee, monitor and supervise certain activities when it will be Traffipax's responsibility to adhere to activities such as a traffic study, for instance.

“If there's no compelling problem, then this just becomes more about making money than public safety,” Respess said. “I think there are better ways.”

Tom Johnson, the city's director of development services, agreed the city does not have a problem but said there are increasing incidents of red-light runners.

“All of the studies I've seen said cameras reduce the number of red-light runners,” he said. “I see this as an effort to address the issue before a major accident happens.

“We're in it just to make the intersections safer,” he said. “That's why the council asked me to go ahead and bring this issue forward back in June.”

Johnson said staff will have a kickoff meeting with Traffipax.

“Generally what happens is that they come into the city and conduct a traffic study and record where we might have a potential for problems,” Johnson said.

In the mean time, Johnson will request council appoint a Citizens Advisory Committee to review the study. He said each council member will be asked to appoint one member to the board, he said.

“They (Traffipax) will analyze something between three and five approaches for consideration,” he said. “It will be something like that depending on whatever they come up with in the traffic engineering study.

“What I've seen in most cities is that they take one side of the intersection as opposed to the whole thing,” he said.

Johnson said the vendor will make suggestions on where to place the cameras and the committee will be charged with agreeing to those suggestions.

“My understanding is that it takes about two or three months to get the cameras in place,” he said.

City staff negotiated a three-year contract with Traffipax.

“But the contract is set up so that anytime the city wants to get out, it can,” he said. “Most cities get a five-year contract. We kind of negotiated that down, but I think they really want to come in and do a good job for the city.”

Red-light runners caught on the cameras, once installed, will be subject to a $75 notice of violation and a $25 late fee, Johnson said.

“According to state law, those who don't pay won't get ticketed, but when they go to register their car, they will have an outstanding balance on their account,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the council wanted to make sure the program would not utilize any city funds, in its implementation or operation. As a result, the program is completely cost neutral, Johnson said.

Recent stipulations set forth by the Texas Legislature set the amount of the civil penalty, the traffic study, establishing the citizens committee, periodic reports to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, a process to appeal the violation and use of revenue to fund traffic safety and public safety programs, intersection improvements and traffic enforcement.

Williams was unable to be reached for comment.