Temple Terrace Adds Three New Red-Light Cameras
The cameras will begin operating Sept. 1.
Photos
If you’re traveling north on 56th Street and run the red lights at Riverhills Drive, Bullard Parkway or Fowler Avenue, say “cheese.”
Beginning Sept. 1, the northbound traffic lights at these three intersections will have active red-light safety cameras.
“The cameras will operate 24 hours a day, taking photographs and videos of red-light runners,” said Mike Dunn, the city’s public information officer, via a press release. “Warning signs will be placed at those locations to alert motorists to the cameras.”
The three new cameras will give the city a total of five red-light cameras. The two current cameras are located westbound on Bullard Parkway at 56th Street and southbound on 56th Street at Fowler Avenue.
“The city’s traffic-safety camera program has been in effect since October 2008 and has recorded more than 26,000 violations, said Deputy Chief Bernie Seeley of the Temple Terrace Police Department,” the press release states. “The program is intended to protect motorists, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians from crashes caused by red-light runners, he said.”
The city will have a warning period at the new camera locations from Sept. 1-30, according to the release. During that time, a violator will be mailed a courtesy warning notice in lieu of a citation. The warning notice will be issued to the vehicle’s registered owner. At the conclusion of the warning period, citations will be issued. The fine for a first offense is $158.
Temple Terrace’s red-light traffic camera program is administered by American Traffic Solutions Inc., Dunn said. Each violation is reviewed and approved by the Temple Terrace Police Department before the registered owner of the vehicle is issued a citation.
The City of Temple Terrace is one of more than 70 communities in Florida and 500 nationwide that use the hotly contested cameras to enhance highway safety.
Tampa, St. Petersburg and Oldsmar voted to install red-light cameras earlier this year.
Hillsborough County operates red-light cameras at six intersections. Between Jan. 1, 2010 and Feb. 28, 2011, the sheriff's office issued 33,966 red-light citations. The intersection with the most citations issued was Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Fletcher Avenue, which had 9,070 citations, or 26.7 percent.
Other Hillsborough County intersections with red-light cameras include:
- Waters Avenue and Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood, which had 7,625 citations
- Brandon Town Center Drive and Brandon Boulevard in Brandon, which had 7,589 citations
- Waters Avenue and Anderson Road in Town N’ Country, which had 6,110 citations
- Bell Shoals Road and Bloomingdale Avenue in Brandon, which had 2,830 citations
- Sligh Avenue and Habana Avenue in Egypt Lake-Leto, which had 742 citations
“Red light runners are a danger to others as well as themselves,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office typically comments when it posts videos it has captured of red-light runners. “Aggressive, impatient or inattentive motorists who run a red light can be detected at certain intersections in unincorporated Hillsborough County.”
According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, 113,000 people were injured and 676 people were killed in 2009 in red-light running crashes. That year, 62 Floridians lost their lives, making Florida the third most deadly state for red-light running crashes.
However, some motorists say they think that red-light cameras are an abuse of local and state governments’ power. A website called Ban the Cams is a self-described grass roots organization that aims to “restore freedom and sanity to our roadways.” They had a protest at the intersection of Bullard Parkway and 56th Street last year.
A story titled State Rep. Glorioso Vows To Support Red-Light Camera Law, which was posted on Temple Terrace Patch on June 16, received several comments for and against red-light cameras.
“I definitely am in favor of keeping the cameras,” said reader rcarol. “Those opposed are most likely the ones that fear getting ticketed because they are the offenders of red-light running.”
Another reader disagreed.
“Of course stopping at red lights is a good thing,” said St Pete Driver, “but I would rather help drivers(and safety) by lengthening the yellow light time and truly making intersections safer, instead of punishing normally safe driver for technical fouls like rolling over the stop line before coming to a complete stop, or making a right turn on red, and making everyone paranoid about running afoul of the eyes in the sky.”
In This article
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City of Temple Terrace Police Department
11250 N 56th St, Temple Terrace, FL -
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rcarol
Joined Patch Friday, April 15, 2011 -
St Pete Driver
Joined Patch Tuesday, March 8, 2011
St Pete Driver
6:45 pm on Monday, August 29, 2011
The only way the red light cameras "work" is by generating money for red light camera companies.
If you actually read all of the studies on red light cameras(there are dozens of them out there, many more than the 2 or 3 that advocates mention) you will see that red light cameras lead to a significant increase in crashes and injuries. If you don't believe me, go ahead and read all of the studies for yourself:
http://www.stpetecameras.org/home/rlc-studies
If they were truly interested in improving safety, they would increase the yellow signal time by one additional second. Doing this has proven in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New Mexico, Missouri, California and even here in a couple Florida cities to be more effective at preventing red light running than red light cameras are, but nobody makes money that way.
T hollinger
6:57 am on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I've ran over the stop line twice this week before coming to a complete stop and noticed a flash does that mean I should be expecting a ticket in the near future?
St Pete Driver
7:30 am on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Technically that is "running the light", even if you didn't go through the intersection. The reviewing official(which doesn't actually have to be a police officer) has discretion as to whether you get a ticket or not, but most likely you won't get a ticket if you didn't go through the intersection.
Grant Rimbey
2:48 pm on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I would suggest "St Pete Driver" stay in St Pete. Here in Temple Terrace folks stopping for redlights is a good thing, those that don't obey the law should be penalized as they endanger the roads for all of us.
You are trying to make a simple matter, complex. Why?
St Pete Driver
3:42 pm on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I think stopping at red lights is a good thing too, I don't know where you see that I said otherwise.
What I am opposed to is the ticketing of right turn on red(Which Temple Terrace was doing prior to July 2010 at a rate of over 95% of your red light camera tickets that were issued). As well as the increase in crashes that are a result of installing red light cameras.
Right turns on red are responsible for less than one half of one percent of crashes, so why are they the majority of citations issued by these cameras? People that are turning right on red are not endangering the roads as you claim, but they are bearing the burden of most of the tickets from your red light revenue cameras.
David Klasyk
2:21 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
Great point Grant, there are so many more important things for us to come together and work on fixing these matters. If they don't know the correct answer for a Temple Terrace matter, then ask a T.T. Police officer or anyone at the court house on the first floor. They can get your question answered quickly. Just remember ever city, county or township may have different laws, policies, and or ordinances. Check with your city where you live and then you'll know for sure. But really, who much time to you really loose by not stopping at a right on red light? If it really makes a big difference, you my friend have bigger problems, like time management. Try getting up 10 min. earlier in the morning. Who knows, it may change your life! :)
John Resto
10:29 pm on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
St Pete Driver, you need to look at your Florida road rules again. Even if you can turn right on red at an intersection, you still have to come to a complete stop before making the turn.
The only reason, people stopping to do this is causing accidents is because there are stupid people behind them not paying attention because they don't wanna stop or they're driving unsafe and are preoccupied with something else. These people would have caused accidents somewhere else, so don't blame the red light cameras.
St Pete Driver
11:45 pm on Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Before July 2010 Temple Terrace was even issuing tickets to people who stopped before making right turns on red, that's why their red light camera citation rate was the highest in the state before the passage of the Wandall Act.
My problem with the majority of citations for right turn on red is that it isn't dangerous, and these red light cameras were sold to us as a safety measure, not a punishment measure. Well if the majority of citations are for a non-dangerous violation, where is the safety benefit?
As for the increase in crashes, it's because of the increase in rear-end crashes, and not because of inattentive drivers, it's because people are paranoid that they will get a ticket, so they slam on the breaks the instant that the light turns yellow, even if they are well past the dilemma zone, making it more likely that the person behind them will not anticipate a sudden and very rapid braking of the car in front of them and smash into them. This has been proven in several studies.
Red light cameras are about one thing: money. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or an idiot.
Ric
2:50 pm on Thursday, October 25, 2012
You do not have to come to a complete before making a right on red, but rather turns must be made in a "careful and prudent manner." I suggest you review the florida road rules.
David Klasyk
2:48 am on Friday, October 26, 2012
~Just for Richard.~
Florida Driving Rules About a Right Turn on a Red Light. Use caution when turning right at a red stop light.You can turn right at most red lights in the state of Florida, unless otherwise indicated by a traffic sign or police officer. Give the right of way to pedestrians, bikes or other vehicles. Watch out for automatic traffic cameras at some intersections in Florida which are programmed to take snapshots of red light runners, including illegally right-turning cars.Florida Traffic Laws on Right Turn on Red Light Florida Motor Vehicle Laws and Right Turn on Red Arrow."Make A Complete Stop."You must come to a complete stop behind the white stop line at a red light, before you can turn right. Count to five once you stop to avoid being photographed by an automatic traffic camera at some intersections in Florida, because you could be fined approximately $204, warns the Florida DHSMV. Yield To Pedestrians.Stop your vehicle before the crosswalk so pedestrians are able to cross the street in either direction, before you turn right at a red light. Allow them to finish crossing even if the light has turned red for them, or if there is no crosswalk.
Read more: Florida Driving Rules About a Right Turn on a Red Light @ http://www.ehow.com/info_8366840_florida-right-turn-red-light.html#ixzz2ANtoOuvu
David Klasyk
10:27 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
I made it very easy to understand the law. Just click on the link at the end of my reply from Oct. 26th, 2012. It's very easy to read it and understand.... and now you have..
the rest of the story.
David Klasyk
10:52 pm on Friday, October 26, 2012
This is a great video that explains about the red light cam's and what the fines help with.
It's worth watching. Just click on the link below.
http://www.whatdisability.com/driving3/191-wandall-safety-act-from-public-safety-to-cutting-edge-science-video