Here's something you might be interested in.
Back on August 22, we reported here on a plan by Republican then-mayor Jerry Sanders to extend the city's controversial red light camera program.
There was no notice to the public, other than a request for proposal quietly posted by the Sanders crew on the city's procurement website:
"Currently there are fifteen intersections equipped with an automated red light photo system and photograph over 4,000 potential violation events each month," according to the document.
"Based upon the analyzed benefits of the current [red light camera] program, the City has determined that the program be continued, [and the] City desires to operate [the red light cameras] at a minimum of 15 sites."
According to yesterday's request for proposal document--which bears a closing deadline of September 20, though such dates are often moved back--the new program is anticipated to be a “'turnkey' operation, whereby the Proposer shall provide all necessary equipment and associated software with the [red light camera] program, all staff necessary to install, operate, and maintain the program as well as providing necessary services to the City.
Then in September, the Sanders administration quietly amended the plan to include the possibility of more cameras.
In response to the question, "Does the City anticipate any new locations that will be added to the project?" the document says, "The City is currently reviewing locations that will benefit from use of this technology.
“It should be anticipated that some of the existing photo enforced locations will continue to use this technology and some new locations will be selected."
The items here triggered an outpouring of comments, most of them opposing the automated traffic ticketing.
After U-T San Diego picked up on the story on September 7, Sanders backed away from the plan and mayoral campaign rivals Bob Filner and Carl DeMaio both expressed opposition to it.
Today, Democratic mayor Bob Filner finally made it official: he is turning off the cameras for good:
"These cameras are history on San Diego streets."
Back on August 22, we reported here on a plan by Republican then-mayor Jerry Sanders to extend the city's controversial red light camera program.
There was no notice to the public, other than a request for proposal quietly posted by the Sanders crew on the city's procurement website:
"Currently there are fifteen intersections equipped with an automated red light photo system and photograph over 4,000 potential violation events each month," according to the document.
"Based upon the analyzed benefits of the current [red light camera] program, the City has determined that the program be continued, [and the] City desires to operate [the red light cameras] at a minimum of 15 sites."
According to yesterday's request for proposal document--which bears a closing deadline of September 20, though such dates are often moved back--the new program is anticipated to be a “'turnkey' operation, whereby the Proposer shall provide all necessary equipment and associated software with the [red light camera] program, all staff necessary to install, operate, and maintain the program as well as providing necessary services to the City.
Then in September, the Sanders administration quietly amended the plan to include the possibility of more cameras.
In response to the question, "Does the City anticipate any new locations that will be added to the project?" the document says, "The City is currently reviewing locations that will benefit from use of this technology.
“It should be anticipated that some of the existing photo enforced locations will continue to use this technology and some new locations will be selected."
The items here triggered an outpouring of comments, most of them opposing the automated traffic ticketing.
After U-T San Diego picked up on the story on September 7, Sanders backed away from the plan and mayoral campaign rivals Bob Filner and Carl DeMaio both expressed opposition to it.
Today, Democratic mayor Bob Filner finally made it official: he is turning off the cameras for good:
"These cameras are history on San Diego streets."