Red light cameras considered

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer

South Orange remains undecided as to whether it will install a camera system to catch motorists who run red lights.

The technology, used on a trial basis in more than 20 municipalities statewide, would enable police to issue an $85, no-point ticket to the registered owner of a vehicle.

Officials have said the logical place for a red-light camera would be the town’s busiest intersection, at Scotland Road and South Orange Avenue.

But officials have said they want more information before giving the idea the green light.

Trustee Michael Goldberg, chairman of the village’s Public Safety Committee, said he felt the Board of Trustees “needs to make a decision,” a sentiment echoed by police Chief James M. Chelel.

The town has considered the issue for the past few years, ever since a vendor gave officials a demonstration in 2008. Village President Alex Torpey said the biggest public safety complaint the town gets deals with driving violations, either speeding or running red lights.

The village issued a request for proposals from vendors last year, and received responses from Redflex and American Traffic Solutions, according to Goldberg. Both firms make the cameras.

Based on how the system works, the vendor would get a portion of each ticket the camera generates, Goldberg said.

Officials said they know any vendor would want to put the camera up where it would make the most money. Officials last week agreed to have their Public Safety Committee look at the issue again for further analysis.

Trustee Howard Levison said a test of the technology was done at the intersection of South Orange Avenue and Scotland Road, and that the findings showed a “significant” number of violations.

Levison said he did not know if those included people who were waved through the red light by a traffic enforcement officer. He said he would like to see additional testing with more intersections involved.

Torpey also wants to see more analysis and evidence to show that a red-light camera is needed.
In 2008, the state Legislature created a red-light camera pilot program that the state Department of Transportation is administering.

Joe Dee, a spokesman for the DOT, said Tuesday that the program is capped at 25 municipalities that have to apply for admission.

To get into the program, towns must show they have intersections with high numbers of crashes and other violations that have not been abated with traditional methods, such as stepped-up enforcement.

Towns must get DOT approval before putting up a camera, “They can’t do it on their own,” Dee said.

Newark, the state’s largest city, has the most red-light cameras with 14, Dee said. No other Essex County town is in the program, he added, saying South Orange has not applied for admission. All 25 slots are taken, and there are towns waiting to get in.

Goldberg said he understands both sides of the issue. On the one hand, there is the public-safety benefit. Chelel said he thinks the mere presence of the system would deter would-be violators.

“When word gets out, it acts as a deterrent,” Chelel said.

On the other hand, Goldberg cited concerns that some claim of “Big Brother” at work, or that there would be more rear-end collisions caused by drivers stopping abruptly at the light.

Philip Sean Curran can be looked at 908-686-7700, ext. 116, or at newsrecord@thelocalsource.com.