Dear Editor – Red Light Cameras and the Budget

Dear Editor,

Here, as more food for thought are some accident stats, based upon CHP Switrs records from 2011-2015 (copies of the CHP records are attached).

Culver City Accidents, 2011 – 2015 per SWITRS Listings as of 6-8-16

Sepulveda/Green Valley – existing camera location with ticketing expanded in March 2016

Date Location Injuries Primary Collision

3/25/2011 45′ East 1 trunk rear end 18
6/14/2011 280′ South passenger door improp pass broadside 42
5/29/2011 123′ South 3 lane chg sideswipe 42
6/18/2012 325′ East 2 speed hit object 16
10/31/2012 202′ North pdo lane chg sideswipe 37 pdo = property damage only
1/29/2012 69′ South pdo alc/drug broadside 37
6/13/2012 170′ South 2 wrongside head on 37
5/24/2013 at int 1 ped viol
39 construction zone driver and/or ped cited for ped responsibility
5/31/2014 300′ East 1 not stated broadside 15
7/18/2014 312′ South 1 unsafe spd rear end 39
11/14/2014 at int pdo improp turn hit object 39
12/15/2014 37′ South 1 too close rear end 39
7/9/2015 81′ East pdo haz. Parking rear end 18

Washington/National – proposed location of four cameras, per May 2016 budget hearing

2/20/2011 at int pdo not stated rear end 31
1/10/2011 at int 1 stop/sig broadside 31 N-S cars – was left turn involved? Mazda veh had 12 passengers
2/26/2011 at int 2 stop/sig broadside 61 N-W cars
1/11/2011 27′ West 2 ROW head on 61 E-W cars, left turn
12/6/2011 at int 1 ROW broadside 61 S-E cars, left turn by 77 yo
1/3/2012 at int 1 stop/sig broadside 25 E-S cars
4/9/2012 13′ East pdo speed rear end 59
12/1/2013 400′ South 1 improp driv hit object 29
11/25/2014 70′ North pdo alc/drg rear end 28
4/29/2014 151′ East 1 wrong side broadside 59
12/10/2014 at int 1 alc/drg broadside 59
11/8/2015 at int 1 stop/sig broadside 64 N-E-W cars
6/1/2015 45′ West 2 start/backing rear end 64
10/12/2015 210′ East 1 speed broadside 64

For Sepulveda at Green Valley (adjacent to the Westfield Mall and the large hotels), the stats show not one accident attributable to red light running (“stop/sig”) in five years. Absent a very recent spate of red light running accidents, what was the rationale for the installation of the new equipment that has issued 4000 tickets (approx.) carrying $2 million in fines, in March, April and May of this year?

During the May 16 hearing about the proposed budget, the police disclosed that they wish – if the budget item receives the Council’s final approval – to add four cameras to the Washington at National intersection, near the new Expo Line station. The stats for that intersection do show four red light running (“stop/sig”) accidents plus two others attributed to Right-of-Way (“ROW”) violations, but five of the six were January 2012 or before. Does one red light running accident in (the remaining) 47 months of the five-year period – at a very busy intersection – justify the installation of four cameras which will issue millions of dollars of tickets each year?

During the budget hearing in May, staff said that the final vote on the budget would be on June 27. Now it appears it has been moved up two weeks, to the 13th. [The council should] please move it back to June 27, so that there is time for the public to hear about this.

Sincerely,

Jim Lissner