Tag Archives: red light cameras

RIP, red light cameras

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There they go. Houston’s red-light cameras are done issuing violations. This time, permanently. City Council dealt the controversial cameras a double death blow Wednesday, first ordering their immediate shutdown and then outlawing the use of cameras to catch red-light runners. … Continue reading →

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No red light camera action on Friday

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Tagged again. City Council passed on an opportunity to outlaw red-light cameras during a special meeting Friday, delaying consideration of the repeal of Houston’s camera ordinance until Wednesday. Councilwoman Sue Lovell tagged the item, a parliamentary maneuver that delays a … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Can this divorce be saved?

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

After all their feuding this week, the city and the camera vendor are still trying to work out the terms of their breakup. A day after Mayor Annise Parker ripped American Traffic Solutions for “jerking us around” and failing to … Continue reading →

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No vote on red light cameras today

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Tag! The council will not act today on Mayor Annise Parker‘s resolution seeking its approval to shut off the city’s red-light cameras and fight its vendor in court over breach of contract. Councilwoman Sue Lovell tagged it, delaying a vote … Continue reading →

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You can’t always get what you want

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

But you can always complain about getting what you want. A little over a month ago, Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced she was turning the red-light cameras back on and declared she did not need the City Council’s approval to … Continue reading →

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Red light cameras may get a Council vote

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Houston’s red-light camera vendor said on Friday that Mayor Annise Parker is trying to turn the cameras off again, and it has asked a federal judge to stop her from doing so. City Attorney David … Continue reading →

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Those darned propositions

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Houston voters can be forgiven if they feel a bit confused. They voted down red-light cameras, but the cameras are on. They may have heard the mayor say that voting for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Red light camera tickets begin again tomorrow

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Drive appropriately. You have been warned. Houston police will begin issuing red-light camera citations Sunday at 50 intersections around the city, the latest maneuver in a protracted court battle over the controversial but lucrative traffic surveillance system. Police Chief Charles … Continue reading →

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No appeal for now of red light camera ruling

Posted on July 10, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The city will have to wait until the remaining issues in the red light camera lawsuit are resolved before it can appeal the judge’s ruling. A federal judge ruled Friday that the city of Houston may not appeal his ruling … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

More on the red light camera return

Posted on July 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the Chron story about the reinstatement of the red light cameras. A couple of points that need to be made: Wednesday’s announcement provoked the full fury of Paul Kubosh, a lawyer who helped lead the petition drive to get … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Red light cameras to be turned back on

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For now, at least. The city of Houston will turn its red-light cameras back on today, Mayor Annise Parker announced after this morning’s City Council meeting. According to a statement from the mayor’s office, tickets will be issued after a … Continue reading →

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Kubosh files appeal in red light camera lawsuit

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Mary Benton has the story and the appeal documents. Relevant quote: In the Kubosh appeal attorneys argue, among other points, “if government by the people, of the people, and for the people is to have meaning in Houston, this Court … Continue reading →

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Response from the city on the red light camera ruling

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Previously, I wrote that I had asked the city about the possibility of appealing the ruling in the red light camera lawsuit. I received the following response from the Mayor’s office yesterday: This was what’s known as an interlocutory order … Continue reading →

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ATS wants a decision on the cameras

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is just a mess. An Arizona firm says if City Hall agrees, it can turn Houston’s contentious red-light camera system back on by Aug. 1, eight months after voters rejected the surveillance operation in an election. American Traffic Solutions … Continue reading →

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More on the red light camera ruling

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I said before that what happens next with the red light camera ruling is a political decision. Here’s how that’s shaping up. City Attorney Dave Feldman said Friday’s ruling will force the city to choose from canceling the contract with … Continue reading →

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Judge rules red light camera referendum was invalid

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. A Houston federal judge today invalidated last November’s referendum that ended the red-light camera program, a ruling that has sent city leaders back to square one. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled the city can not reverse an ordinance … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Accidents down overall in Houston

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I know I said I was done litigating the red light camera question, and I am, I swear it, but I can’t let this pass without comment. Automobile accidents on Houston streets have declined 13 percent in the last five … Continue reading →

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Accidents down at former red light camera intersections

Posted on May 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

I guess some arguments are never going to go away. In the five months after Houston voters forced city officials to turn off a camera surveillance system that fined motorists for running red lights, traffic accidents at those 50 intersections … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

ATS says red light violations have gone up

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

CultureMap: Anti-big brother Houstonians rejoiced when a referendum passed last November to take down the city’s network of red light cameras. Nearly six months later, data collected by the camera service provider, Phoenix-based ATS, suggests that citizens’ temporarily cautious attitude towards … Continue reading →

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Speed trap city

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Apparently, we’re number one. The number one speed trap city in America, that is. Houston, TX Speed traps: 373 And the winning city is from … Texas! Seriously, the speed traps in Texas are so bad, Dornsife said, “any place … Continue reading →

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Study says red light cameras save lives

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Now they tell us. In a study released on Tuesday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that red-light cameras could save lives. The findings by the institute, a nonprofit group funded by the insurance industry, found that from 2004-8 … Continue reading →

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Interview with David Feldman

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The main focus in Houston over the next few months will be Council expansion and redistricting. One of the people who will do the heavy lifting on this is City Attorney David Feldman. If you haven’t watched this video from … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2011, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Warning: Speed trap ahead

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating story about a guy who likes telling people they’re about to encounter a speed trap. Three years ago, when Lakeway resident Lance Mitchell launched his website, SpeedTrap-Ahead.org, he didn’t hide his intentions. “Not a lot of people flash their … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Kuboshes told to butt out of ATS lawsuit

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t know judges issued rulings on Sundays, but I guess sometimes they do. Red-light camera opponents will not be allowed to help defend a November referendum in which voters rejected the devices, a federal judge ruled on Sunday, saying … Continue reading →

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The city vs ATS

Posted on December 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update on the red light camera lawsuit in which the city is seeking guidance on how to go about terminating its contract with red light camera vendor ATS, and ATS is seeking to overturn the referendum. “We were … Continue reading →

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Red light camera lawsuit

Posted on December 2, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I’m trying to understand exactly what this is all about. Here’s the little sidebar summary, which captures the basic facts pretty well: The city of Houston • filed a “pre-emptive lawsuit” in U.S. District Court Nov. 15 seeking a judge’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

What about red light cameras elsewhere?

Posted on November 23, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Before the election, I noted a DMN story about how the red light camera referendum in Houston might spur opponents in other cities to try their luck with a similar ban. This DMN story discusses that, but you have to … Continue reading →

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Partisan breakdown for the city propositions

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Now that I have addressed the question of the effect of straight ticket voting on the city propositions, the next question is to figure out how they did in Republican and Democratic areas. To try and get a handle on … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Straight ticket voting and the city propositions

Posted on November 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, the Chron recently wrote an editorial decrying the rise in straight ticket voting. Among other things, they said: In two highly publicized Houston propositions on the ballot last Tuesday, nearly 56,000 voters did not register a choice … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Red light cameras to be turned off Monday

Posted on November 14, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This was unexpected. This week, officials with American Traffic Solutions Inc., of Scottsdale, Ariz., received a letter dated Nov. 10 from city attorney David Feldman, who reversed his previous opinion that the contract requires Houston to give ATS a 120-day … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

What now for the red light cameras?

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Barring anything unusual, red light cameras will be history in Houston, but their effect will be felt for some time. City Controller Ronald Green said the loss of the devices would amount to a $10 million shortfall in revenues, a … Continue reading →

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Opening thoughts on the carnage

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

In no particular order… – Republicans gain 22 seats in the State House, for a 99-51 advantage. That’s with Pete Gallego, Hubert Vo, and Donna Howard, all of whom had been trailing early, coming back to win. Howard’s margin of … Continue reading →

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Sign of the times: Prop 3

Posted on October 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Spotted this the other day on Old Spanish Trail just east of SH288: Far as I can tell, the nearest red light camera to this sign is at Wayside and I-45. It’s all I’ve seen of the campaign against Prop … Continue reading →

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The fate of the city propositions

Posted on October 29, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron story could easily have been headlined “A bunch of people take wild guesses about what will happen to the city ballot propositions”. Political analysts say the fate of the three propositions may be tied together for some Houstonians … Continue reading →

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