Still no green light for cameras

Red-light cameras have been a popular idea in Philadelphia since before the state approved the devices nearly two years ago.

Politicians fought for them, police endorse them and the parking authority maintains they cut down on fatal accidents.

But a lack of bids from companies that install the camera equipment has stalled the project.

Only one firm has submitted a bid to supply the red-light camera equipment, so the city reopened bidding last week, said Philadelphia Parking Authority executive director Joe Egan. The deadline for companies to submit proposals is the end of this month.

When the cameras are up and running, South Philly drivers will encounter one of them at Broad Street and Washington Avenue.

The intersection would be one of several citywide to be included in a pilot program. The Pennsylvania Legislature approved the law establishing the program on Sept. 24, 2002.

The cameras work by recording the license-plate numbers of vehicles blowing through red lights. Motorists in Philadelphia would be fined $100 via mail, but no points would be added to drivers’ licenses.

The parking authority will administer the pilot program in conjunction with the Streets Department and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Egan said.

PennDOT’s role is to concur with the city on locations and also approve the camera system, said press secretary Gene Blaum.

"This technology, when used in the correct manner, can be effective in enhancing law enforcement and encouraging driver compliance with the traffic control signals, thereby reducing crashes and improving and increasing overall highway safety," Blaum said.

City Council passed a version of the state bill in May, said Brian Abernathy, aide to First District Councilman Frank DiCicco.

The legislation cites intersections that the parking authority, Streets Department and PennDOT must consider for camera installation, said Richard Dickson, the authority’s director of strategic planning and administration. Those sites are currently under review, added Egan.

In addition to Broad and Washington, other high-priority spots for cameras are Roosevelt Boulevard at Grant Avenue, Red Lion Road and Cottman Avenue, all in the Northeast, said Dickson.

Locations were selected based on a high incidence of accidents or motorists running red lights, the director added.

In time, additional intersections will be determined at the discretion of the three administering agencies.

More than 70 communities in 13 states use red-light cameras, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Delaware began implementing the system in 2000.

"This process has worked in other cities," Dickson said. "It’s cut fatalities and injuries 20 to 30 percent, depending on the city. It works, and I think once we get the process up and running for a few years, we think we can make a determination to expand it to other intersections to make residents and the city safer."

Despite the red-light cameras’ many fans, one civil libertarian sees reason to apply the brakes.

Center City-based privacy expert and consultant John Featherman, who challenged U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in 2000, contends the equipment could give the government too much access to motorists’ personal information.

"From a civil libertarian point of view, I have real concerns with the red-light cameras," he said. "I think they may do more harm than good, and I think they may be used for unauthorized and undisclosed purposes in the future."

Featherman has a number of issues with the cameras, including his belief that they violate the constitutional right to face one’s accuser.

"Is it constitutional to have a machine and not an officer issue tickets? Do you have the right to be accused by a machine without an officer?" he posed.

While Featherman said he understands the need for traffic safety, he feels the government must be careful in how it enforces the law.

"Absolutely, people have no right to run a red light," he said. "But the question remains, are we entering a big-brother state?"

People who view the cameras as an invasion of privacy are missing the whole point, said Sgt. George Golden, of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Accident Investigation Division.

The technology is intended to make the roadways safer for drivers, not so police can issue more violations or spy on motorists, the sergeant explained.

"We as a society need help in making the roads safer for everybody," Golden said. "And if through the cameras, we can do that, then it has my blessing."

Still, Featherman worries that information captured on film could be used later for other purposes that have nothing to do with law enforcement.

For example, if someone were cheating on a spouse, the film could be used to prove that individual was at a specific location at a specific time, he said.

Featherman also cited the technical errors experienced with the E-Z Pass system. Delaware River Port Authority officials eventually had to admit to problems with equipment that caused scores of commuters to be charged double.

Red-light cameras could have similar glitches, Featherman noted.

"Is it a valid instrument and does it work?" he asked. "How consistent is the machine and is it reliable in measuring [the volume of traffic that passes through an intersection on any given day]?"

Installation of the equipment falls under the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s domain.

But that part of the process is a long way off. First, the agency needs to find a company to sign on to the project.

"From the authority’s perspective, we want to make sure the process includes as many prospective bidders as possible," said PPA executive director Egan. "We want to make sure the product that we put on the street is of the highest quality and lowest cost. The only way we can do that is if we can encourage as many people as possible to participate in the bid."

Other firms were originally interested in the project but did not bid because of a restriction outlined in the legislation that limits the cameras to traditional (wet) film only — not digital, said Dickson.

Officials imposed the restriction because wet film is more difficult to manipulate than digital film, and digital cameras can be tampered with more easily from a remote location.

The parking authority is hoping to get the project underway by year’s end.

Golden pointed out that officials wouldn’t have to take these steps if not for the high incidence of drivers running red lights.

"The ignorance and arrogance of some drivers makes it difficult for all drivers," he said.