February 11, 2011 Red-light cameras survive Senate subcommittee vote By JENNIFER JACOBS jejacobs@dmreg.com

Red-light cameras are here to stay in Iowa. And expect them to multiply. A push to get rid of the cameras that nab speeders or red-light runners was defeated 2-1 Thursday in a Senate Transportation subcommittee in the face of law enforcement officials' praise for the devices. But there's wiggle room for changes - perhaps a state policy on uniform fines, a requirement that yellow lights be one second longer at monitored intersections, or a ban on ticketing for rolling through a right-hand turn at a red light, lawmakers said. "I'm open to mending it, not ending it," said Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo. The courts have already decided the cameras are legal. So the news that the Legislature doesn't intend to get rid of them, at least not this year, could clear the way for more. "That sends a message to the cities: 'Let's install these things,' " said Sen. Steve Kettering, one of a dozen Republicans who wanted to ban the cameras. Clive, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Council Bluffs and Davenport already have cameras. Des Moines is slated to post them at five accident-prone intersections and at two downtown points on Interstate Highway 235 this year. The thought of more cameras is likely to frustrate some Iowa drivers. "From the messages I've received, Iowans do not want these cameras," said Kettering, of Lake View. "Iowans don't like the intrusion of privacy, and they think they're tremendously unfair because the ticket goes to the owner of the automobile, which very frequently has not been the driver of the automobile." Police officials on Thursday addressed what Democratic Sen. Tom Rielly of Oskaloosa called "horror stories" about $500 tickets and a lack of due process. A ticket can reach $500 in Cedar Rapids, but only if the driver was going 31 mph or more over the speed limit, said Cedar Rapids Police Lt. Jeff Hembera. Tickets vary depending on how much a driver is exceeding the limit. For example, he said, the ticket is $25 for up to 5 mph over the speed limit, and it's $100 for 21 mph to 25 mph over. There are no extra costs for court fees because it's a civil penalty, not criminal, Hembera said. Violations don't affect driver's licenses and are not reported to the driver's insurer. A sworn officer reviews the evidence to determine whether a violation happened, Hembera said. About 2 percent of tickets are appealed, and of those, 54 percent are dismissed, said Melissa Jensen, a Cedar Rapids administrative hearing officer. Dismissals stem from valid excuses, such as the driver was on the way to the hospital, she said. Crashes at Cedar Rapids' seven monitored intersections dropped 40 percent in 2010 compared with 2009, Hembera said. Accidents on Interstate Highway 380, where speed cameras guard two S-curves, dropped 54 percent, and there were no deaths, unlike in previous years, he said. Danielson said he's most concerned about "the perception that this is a way for cities to pad their local budgets." He said it might be time for a uniform state policy that offers some flexibility for local governments. One standard might be ensuring revenue from the cameras goes in a set-aside account with clear purposes, he said. Cedar Rapids pays camera company Gatso USA Inc. $30 per citation. Des Moines will pay the same company $25 captured from speeding violations and $27 from red light tickets. The municipalities keep the rest.