Red Light Cameras Turned Back On (Houston, Austin: vehicle registration, lawyers, home)

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by ethanw

Now that's NAIVE It has been proven several times that the yellow lights were shorten to the bare minimum and the pigs got busted doing it many times. See the previous posters links above, baytownb...
And for your own sanity go to the city and request to do your own audit on the yellow lights timing. 1. They won't allow you, and 2. if they do allow you they can not produce a log of the settings on the yellow lights. All logs VANISHED . They're not stupid you know

It's NAIVE to think that what they are doing in bubba land Baytown is what they are doing in Houston. I don't care what Baytown is doing to their red lights...this is about Houston not Baytown.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by ethanw

Now that's NAIVE It has been proven several times that the yellow lights were shorten to the bare minimum and the pigs got busted doing it many times. See the previous posters links above, baytownb...
And for your own sanity go to the city and request to do your own audit on the yellow lights timing. 1. They won't allow you, and 2. if they do allow you they can not produce a log of the settings on the yellow lights. All logs VANISHED . They're not stupid you know

Do you know why they don't let people just audit the lights because your not a traffic signal light auditor. Do you think if you walk up to a police officer and ask him to let you audit his radar gun that he is just going to hand it to you....your right they are not that stupid Secondly do you even need to ask them? If you want to do you own experiment just go and do it. Most eveyone has a good cell phone video recorder or use something more technically advanced and go test it out yourself. That can't be too difficult. If it seems suspicious then report it.

Here is some information for you right off of the TxDOT about the yellow light timing and how that time is determined:

Q:Wouldn't increasing the length of the yellow signal at an intersection decrease the occurrence of red light running?

A:Allowing adequate yellow timing can reduce red light running, but longer yellow time alone does not eliminate the need or potential benefits of red light cameras. Yellow times at signals are determined based on variables such as the posted speed limit, typical deceleration rates of vehicles, the grade of the road, and motorist perception-reaction time.

If you think your yellow light has been mysteriously shortened then report it. But let me ask you...how does shorting the timing of a yellow light contribute to the company making more money? If the light is yellow and you happen to be the one trying to beat the yellow light and it turns red while you are in the intersection that does not count against you. You are not guilty unless you entered the intersection after the light turned red.

[TVC15]

Hi,

I am hearing stories in Houston that the red light camera company (ATS) is purposely shorting the yellow light timing at the intersections that have the red light cameras.
Can you please provide me information about who sets the yellow light timing? Is it true that ATS has the authority to lower the yellow light timing in order to make more profit?


I just sent this question to the TxDOT through their website. I will be happy to share their response with you if and when I get one.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by TVC15

Hi,

I am hearing stories in Houston that the red light camera company (ATS) is purposely shorting the yellow light timing at the intersections that have the red light cameras.
Can you please provide me information about who sets the yellow light timing? Is it true that ATS has the authority to lower the yellow light timing in order to make more profit?


I just sent this question to the TxDOT through their website. I will be happy to share their response with you if and when I get one.

It's a messed up situation when you are at the intersection right when it turns yellow. You either have to floor it, or brake really hard in order to avoid a ticket. Slowing down the yellow light timing is just dumb, but smart for the business.

[Fighter 1]

Originally Posted by TVC15

Hi,

I am hearing stories in Houston that the red light camera company (ATS) is purposely shorting the yellow light timing at the intersections that have the red light cameras.
Can you please provide me information about who sets the yellow light timing? Is it true that ATS has the authority to lower the yellow light timing in order to make more profit?


I just sent this question to the TxDOT through their website. I will be happy to share their response with you if and when I get one.

I would be more interested in asking why they can't make the Red to Green (for apposing traffic) a bit longer for SAFETY reasons, if that is what they are trying to do. Then if some one does run thru the light the apposing traffic would not start moving as soon.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Trae713

It's a messed up situation when you are at the intersection right when it turns yellow. You either have to floor it, or brake really hard in order to avoid a ticket. Slowing down the yellow light timing is just dumb, but smart for the business.

Why would you have to break hard if the light turns yellow? Why would you have to speed up? This is right off of the HPD website concerning yellow what happens if you enter an intersection and the light turns yellow. If you entered the intersection on yellow, it is legal to clear the intersection if the light turned red while you were still in the intersection.

So how is this good for business?
Yellow light timing is a red herring. Yellow lights are set by the Texas DOT not ATS. They are based on a number of factors including number of lanes, speed limit, size of intersection, etc. Studies have shown that extending the yellow light leads to more serious collision because drivers actually increase their speed.


Secondly check the data off of the HPD website and see how much of a reduction in accidents there were during the time the cameras where in operation. Then look at how many people ran the red lights after the lights were turned off. Do not rely on Houston chronicle's interpretation...get the data from HPD.

So if your theory is correct and the yellow light's length of timing was shortened...why did accidents decrease?

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by TVC15

Why would you have to break hard if the light turns yellow? Why would you have to speed up? This is right off of the HPD website concerning yellow what happens if you enter an intersection and the light turns yellow. If you entered the intersection on yellow, it is legal to clear the intersection if the light turned red while you were still in the intersection.

I've seen cars enter on yellow and the light still flashes for them when it turns red.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Fighter 1

I would be more interested in asking why they can't make the Red to Green (for apposing traffic) a bit longer for SAFETY reasons, if that is what they are trying to do. Then if some one does run thru the light the apposing traffic would not start moving as soon.

Actually what I am doing is getting an answer for all of those who keep saying that ATS is rigging the lights for a profit.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Trae713

I've seen cars enter on yellow and the light still flashes for them when it turns red.

So...does that mean the person was issued a violation? The videos are reviewed and if the video does not show that a violation occurred then the person is not ticketed.

I actually posted an HPD news roport that talks about how the numbers of red light runners is on the rise and in it the officer says...

One of the busiest intersections has been the Southwest Freeway at Beechnut. In January of 2010, that camera snapped pictures of more than 2,770 potential red-light runners.
They were “potential” because not all of those pictures resulted in citations upon further review, HPD said.

But compare that to January 2011 -- the first full month with the cameras – and the number of pictures snapped jumped to 3,811.
That’s a 38 percent rise.

I have posted a lot of good supporting data for everything that I am saying in this discussion. Please read what I have posted and many of your concerns will be addressed.

HPD: Red-light runners increase without cameras | khou.com Houston

I even posted a video of how the red light camera works and in that video they also talk about this.

[TVC15]

Originally Posted by Fighter 1

I would be more interested in asking why they can't make the Red to Green (for apposing traffic) a bit longer for SAFETY reasons, if that is what they are trying to do. Then if some one does run thru the light the apposing traffic would not start moving as soon.

Go onto the TxDOT website yourself and ask them anything you want...such as what you are asking here. Hopefully they get back with you with an answer.