Bill Would Nix Brick's Red Light Cam Revenue
State senator: money should go to state fund; Brick mayor: money shouldn't go to Trenton
A North Jersey state senator has proposed a bill that would take red light traffic camera revenue away from local municipalities and redirect it to a state traffic safety fund.
The proposal by Sen. Michael Doherty [R-Warren] is aimed at testing the idea that municipalities use the cameras for safety rather than revenue generation by taking away the revenue and sending it to a fund dedicated to highway safety projects ranging from education to capital improvements on roadways.
Doherty said in a statement that "if increasing safety is truly the goal, it makes sense for red light camera ticket revenues to be deposited in a fund dedicated to improving highway safety."
"Under current law, most red light camera ticket revenues go to supporting bloated municipal budgets, which is unproductive," said Doherty. "Since increasing safety is supposedly the goal of red light cameras, we should put ticket revenues to productive use in the Highway Safety Fund which is dedicated to making New Jersey’s roads safer."
Doherty has long fought to ban the use of red light cameras in New Jersey, and has even circulated a petition on the matter.
Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis took a different view.
"The state has enough trouble spending the money they get from us taxpayers as is," he said. "The last thing I would want to do is give Senator Doherty, and more people in state government, more money."
"If they want to do away with red light cameras, let them vote to get rid of them," said Acropolis. "This grandstanding by both sides, by people who want them and don't want them, has to end."
Doherty said in his statement that municipalities may not want to keep the cameras around without the possibility of revenue flowing into town coffers.
"How many towns and local officials will continue to demand the opportunity to install red light cameras or fight to keep the cameras they already have if their share of ticket revenues is cut off?," asked Doherty. "My guess is very few. That will prove that the real purpose of red light cameras is to use citizens as a cash cow to fund big government."
Brick Township operates cameras at three intersections – Route 70 and Chambers Bridge Road; Route 70 and Brick Boulevard; and Brick Boulevard and Hooper Avenue.
ray
5:41 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
God, those crooked politicians would steal anything. Let 'em smell money, and they're out there barking for more legislation. A nice pool of money for them to distribute among their friends and supporters.
DennyD
7:03 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hey Mayor,
Stay in TR where your bread is buttered. November cannot get here soon enough.
type writer
9:05 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
@DennyD....we might have to be stuck with the Mayor four 4 more years. Unfortunately, after the newly elected democrats turned out to be admitted proven liars, I for one cannot vote for anyone else that they are connected too. I hope the Republicans put up someone other than Steve, but if the choice is a democrat friendly to Fozman, Moore and Ducey,I will vote for Steve Acrapolis.
DennyD
9:29 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Not even a consideration. The way the Mayor behaves at the Council meetings and has to be gaveled to shut the hell up tells you all you need to know. He is the "Mayor" not the "Despot" that he thinks he is.
type writer
9:40 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
@DennyD...read this Asbury Park Press article I found hidden. What a cover. No arrest, no indictment, no trial, no publicity. You and I would have been imprisoned for YEARS.
Chief Wahoo, check this out....LITTLE EGG HARBOR — A municipal employee, who is also the daughter of Ocean County Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $40,000 from township taxpayers.
Asbury park press
Special treatment? Unbelievable.
Joseph Woolston Brick
12:26 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
People in Brick will NEVER rehire Acropolis as the Mayor, I don't care who gets put up for mayor, I'm voting for anyone who is not Steve. PERIOD.
Mrgrumpass
2:01 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Danny D
If Fozman, Moore or Ducey, were mayor during and after the storm we would still be up to our collective ASS’s in flood waters and storm trash, go to or watch how intelligent they are during council meetings the three of them are morons, as well as liars. When the Mayor in out of line I always voice my disapproval but I am happy he was Mayor during this crises!
Sourface Coughlin
7:50 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Everyone should stop paying these tickets like they did in California. Nobody would get prosecuted and they would have to take the cameras down. If you want to make intersections safer install countdown timers on the poles.
Tom Cular
8:01 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
If Brick didn't get a piece of the pie, we would never have seen the red light cameras. The Co. that sells and installs the cameras also has a Non Profit sham Co. purporting to be a safety group pushing for the cameras. I'd like to be in front of a Brick official when the light turns amber and see how fast they can stop. My retirement would be paid for :-)
DennyD
8:24 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Does anyone in Town Hall know where all that revenue is being deposited? Is there a separate account? Should we bring flea powder with us the next time we go to 401 Chambers Bridge?
DennyD
8:32 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Allow me to jog your memory. http://brick.patch.com/articles/brick-red-light-cam-tickets-may-have-eclipsed-1m-in-2011
Glenn
8:35 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Hey Doherty, exactly how many red light cameras are in Warren County? I' only aware of 4 total traffic lights.
Bob Alou
8:51 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Why not put it directly into a property tax reduction fund to lower tax bills? We keep 100%, no portion to technology company after installation. Either that or get rid of them.
joe
10:54 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Those red light cameras are BS, there riged with the lights, totaly useless and the people they pay to sit there and review the video...useless...the town just wants to get fat off our hard earned money..
Chief Wahoo
11:01 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Smart of Sen. Doherty to use this way to show they are hypocrites......
if it was me , i would just tell everyone not to pay the extortion and have Pezzaras call me , if he has a problem with that
Cosmo
11:51 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Doherty is a smart guy and a good poker player. He is correct in what he says. Funny observation, when I went out to get gas for my generator on October 30, 2012, all of the traffic lights in Brick were out except 3. Those 3 were the red light cameras. God forbid they shut off the cash register, even in a disaster storm.
OceanCounty
11:51 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
well,......I agree the state politicians smell $$ and want a piece of it; No Way, it's ours!
I really don't have a problem with the Red Light Cams; if you don't run the red light you should not be concerned.
It's extra money for our township from those who opt to push the envelop by running the yellow/red light, and I have seen many try to beat the light; gosh forbid they wait a couple of minutes for the next light.
And from one poster above who suggested "count down timers"; what makes you think they will work, when the red light cams, and ticketing doesn't stop them from trying to beat the light?
WMS826
12:21 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Sure...we will spend our money on our cops to perform this duty...to send fine money from our locals north into Newark.
Send the cops who run the red light program to Sawmill instead.
Joseph Woolston Brick
12:30 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I've asked repeatedly for someone to tell me where the money from the red light cameras are going, Never have I had a decent answer, no facts no figures nothing. This idea of putting the cash into a state fund, yeah how long before thats raided for something other than road safety? About two seconds!
jack smith
3:48 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Does anyone know whose idea it was to install these cameras in Brick in the first place?What about who agreed and signed off on the installation of cameras? Acropilis is acting like he had no say in the matter. Anyway, whoever agreed to these cameras did a great job. Now residents who may cross through an intersection a millisecond too late won't even see any return on their $85 shakedown ticket.
knarfie
7:45 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I agree with mrgrumpass. Acropolis has a lot to be desired, but these new council members seem barely literate. Ducey must have received his law degree from a correspondence school advertised on a comic book.
Melinda
8:04 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I for one am definitely glad that we have the Mayor at the helm during this crisis.
DennyD
10:20 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Family or Friend? Where was he the first 7 days? TR?
Bill
8:16 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Forget about the $ for a minute. The Brick PD should have accident stats pre And post cameras to determine if they actually lowered accident rates.
shorecorruption
8:32 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The slick senator has you gabbing about the red light cameras,as he grabs the Sandy funds.
Chris
11:05 am on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Does anyone really believe those cameras were EVER about traffic safety? Or that the state would not one day find a way to grab the proceeds?
This is NJ for Gods sake!
Jose
12:35 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Hey Mayor Steve, if you don't want the money to go to the state then just take those Big Brother cams if yours down. You know that we all know it's a bunch of crap anyway. Safety ha! Money yes! Cut your salary in half if you are truly working for the taxpayers of Brick.
Jim
2:33 pm on Thursday, January 17, 2013
Someone should do a survey measuring the correlation between people who think that red light cameras are for safety and people who believe that those pills they advertise on late night TV will miraculously make you smaller… or bigger.
I'm in California and it makes me laugh/cry to watch folks in other states make the same mistake we made ten or twelve years ago - putting in red light cameras.
You should know better. The videos the Industry puts on TV show that all of the crashes occur after the signal has been red for 5 or more seconds. It's obvious that that real late running occurs because the motorist (a visitor or distracted/impaired local) completely misses seeing the signal, because it isn't prominent enough.
A camera won't make a signal more prominent. But here's how to do it, cheaply and quickly, without cameras.
A. Paint "signal ahead" on the pavement. A study sponsored by the Florida DOT found that doing so could cut running by up to 74%.
B. Make the signal lights bigger in diameter or, add another signal head. A study by the Texas Transp. Institute (TTI) found that doing either one could cut crashes by 47%.
C. Add backboards to the signal heads. The TTI study found that doing so could cut crashes by 32%.
D. Install brighter bulbs in the street lights above the dangerous intersections and put up lighted name signs for the cross street there.
These things should be tried at a city's worst intersections, before putting in red light cameras.
proudnot2bliberal
12:01 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Ah yes California the land of fiscal responsibility!!!!!!!
Francesca Miller
2:16 pm on Monday, January 21, 2013
I wish I had the time to attend a council meeting. I did vote for the Democrats in the previous election because nothing changed for the better for us under the Republicans. Unfortunately I must work 2 jobs to keep up with the ever increasing mortgage payment due to yearly tax hikes. I will keep reading so as to make a good decision next time. I was so disgusted that I just voted the Democratic ticket lock, stock and barrel. We double duty folks don't have the opportunity to attend anything.
proudnot2bliberal
12:11 pm on Saturday, February 16, 2013
so the previous admins not doing anything about taxes other than raising them had no bearing on you working 2 jobs so you cna pay the bills?
I know when I moved to NJ (from another northeast state w/fairly high insurance rates) I used to drive 25k-32K+ a year now in NJ i drive 10k maybe but my isurance more than doubled! WHY NJ has the worst drivers in the country believe me Ive driven from Maine to Florida in just about every staes east of the Miss & a few past it. Wosrt drivers in the country are b/w New Haven Ct & filthydephia with the worst or the worst from staten island & SI west (north of the drisoll bridge)
Katherine Lockwood
7:26 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
I'm not quite sure why this is such an issue, if you run a red light you deserve to be fined. The police can't stand patrol of these busy intersections so why not use cameras, but give that money to the state, nonsense. Here's an idea....everyone stop for red lights and neither state or municipality will be reaching for your hard earned cash. You know where these cameras are and should only be mad at yourself if you receive a ticket in the mail.
oldsoldier
11:36 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
@Katherine - I agree with your comments. Would like to add to it, if you will. Add to it that the town and the state split the money where the cameras are installed on a state road and intersect with a town road. Also, split the money too with the county where cameras are on a county road too.
Katherine Lockwood
11:41 am on Saturday, February 16, 2013
Was thinking the same thing but would prefer not giving any of them any extra money. I'd love to see signs in the order of "your red light fines in action" for the next state highway project, Ha!