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Red-light cameras: This summer, maybe Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell This view of Medford's Main Street, looking west from Riverside Avenue, shows the string of red lights that controls downtown traffic. If Medford police can secure a vendor for a camera system in the next month, up to 10 intersections in Medford could be outfitted this summer to catch drivers who speed through red lights. The cameras snap pictures of the driver and the car's license plate; offenders would be mailed their citation. Tie-up frustrates police By JESSICA SMITH Up to 10 intersections in Medford could be outfitted this summer with cameras to catch red-light runners in the act. That's only if the Medford Police Department secures a contract with a camera vendor in the next month. It's been almost two years since the city warned motorists that it planned to put cameras at busy and dangerous intersections to nab drivers who run red lights. But costs and a drawn-out bidding process have led to delays in implementation, said Medford police Deputy Chief Ron Norris. "We get so frustrated," said Norris. But police haven't given up hope, he said. They're committed to the project. "We're proceeding slowly," Norris added. "There are substantial costs involved. That's one of the reasons you have to move slowly." Earlier this year, Norris said the city planned to "piggyback" onto Portland's contract with manufacturer Lockheed Martin, out of San Diego. Portland and Medford are two of four cities approved by state legislators in July 1999 for a two-year pilot program aimed at reducing red-light violations. Beaverton and Bend also are part of the test. Though Portland has secured a contract with Lockheed, Norris said it would have cost Medford too much to join in. Instead, the city has requested proposals from vendors to install the surveillance equipment at up to 10 intersections in Medford. The proposals are due May 14, and Norris said he hopes the city finalizes a contract sometime in June. It could cost the city between $25,000 and $50,000 to prepare each intersection for the cameras. Norris said the initial investment would likely be offset by revenues from fines paid by red-light violators. The program, however, isn't seen as a money-maker for the city. According to Norris, the fines will eventually cover just monthly costs associated with renting the cameras and processing violations. Though police have identified 10 intersections where they would like to install the cameras, it's up to the City Council to decide how many intersections will be monitored. Motorists would be warned they are entering such intersections by notices posted within at least 100 yards of the cameras. Typically, red-light cameras are triggered by sensors in the concrete and snap photographs of drivers who run lights that signal traffic to stop. The cameras take shots of drivers' faces and the license plates on their cars. Copies of the photos would be mailed with citations to establish the driver's identity, Medford police have said. The cameras may also help prevent collisions and injuries, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released Thursday. The study focused on Oxnard, Calif., which installed cameras at 11 of its 125 intersections in 1997. Since then, the study found that the number of collisions throughout Oxnard went down 7 percent and crashes resulting in injuries dropped 29 percent. The study did not say how many of the accidents were the direct result of running red lights. An earlier study by the institute found that red light running dropped by about 40 percent in Oxnard and in Fairfax, Va., after camera enforcement began. Neither study has established a definite correlation between using the cameras and preventing collision and injury. But the latest study says the presence of the cameras may have led to "general changes in motorists' behavior," resulting in fewer accidents. Reach reporter Jessica Smith at 776-4481, or e-mail [email protected] The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.