NMA State Alert for North Carolina: Charlotte Continuing Investigation to Reinstate Red-Light Cameras
It was just a few weeks ago that we forwarded this alert about the Charlotte City Council looking into the return of red-light cameras to the city. That process is continuing per this story posted yesterday by the Charlotte Observer.
Think about it. When the state courts ruled that 90 percent of photo enforcement revenue had to be funneled back to the public education system, many North Carolina cities, Charlotte among them, shut down their camera programs. It was about revenue, not traffic safety.
Tough economic times stimulate creative solutions when money is involved. As outlined in the earlier alert to you, a proposal is on the table in Charlotte to resurrect the red-light camera program and have the schools pay for the operating cost of the RLCs, letting the cities net 10 percent. It would be a win-win-win situation for the city, the school system, and of course, the camera company. The losers will be the residents and commuters of Charlotte
Please re-read that March 4, 2010 alert from the NMA linked in the first sentence above. That alert provides links to downloadable information that can be used to inform the mayor and city council of the numerous reasons that ticket cameras are a bad idea --- certainly from safety, due process and public relations perspectives. Unless you want red-light cameras back as part of your daily commute in Charlotte (and, ultimately, in other NC cities), contact the decision-makers now to make your opposition known.
