Traffic camera rules pass House panel

DES MOINES - There were few objections Tuesday at a House Transportation subcommittee hearing over legislation that would regulate the use of red-light and speed cameras.

Most speakers - lobbyists and lawmakers - said the automated traffic enforcement devices enhance safety and alleviate concerns for the safety of motorists and law enforcement officers who otherwise would be stopped on the shoulder of highways.

'I no longer feel like I'm going to die when I'm riding on (Interstate) 380,” Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Marion, said about the use of speed cameras on a crash-prone stretch of the interstate known as the S-curve near downtown Cedar Rapids.

Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman agreed the cameras have been an effective tool for reducing crashes there, and said national studies have found automated enforcement devices change driver behavior.

Approval by the subcommittee clears the way for full committee action on the bill in time to beat this Friday's deadline for legislation to be approved by one chamber of the Legislature and by a committee in the other.

Senate File 220 earlier was approved by the Senate 31-18 after it was amended to regulate traffic enforcement devices rather than ban them.

Regulation brings 'reason and logic” to the use of traffic cameras, and the bill also gives the public a way to petition to get rid of cameras, said subcommittee Chairman Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has not taken a position on the bill, but Steve Gent said the agency supports nearly all aspects of the bill because it gives cities and counties clear direction for the devices.

However, the Iowa DOT was concerned that SF 220 would grandfather in existing enforcement devices on state highways, allowing their use forever without oversight by an independent agency. Automated traffic enforcement systems should be reviewed annually to ensure public trust and to determine if they are improving public safety, Gent said.

For some, support for the bill came with caveats. Daniel Zeno said ACLU-Iowa is registered in support, but was disappointed the measure was not the outright ban proposed in the Senate and approved by the House in the past.

The bill would establish numerous criteria for the use of traffic enforcement devices - include being in high-crash and high-risk locations, with traffic volume and crash history documented. Before a city or county could install an automated device, it would have to hold a public hearing. Signs would have to be posted advising drivers of the devices, and revenue from citations, which cannot exceed the scheduled fine or civil penalty for the infraction, must be used for secondary roads or street construction or public safety.

If a valid petition by citizens of the city or county that installed the traffic devices is filed, the governing body would have to vote on whether to repeal the ordinance authorizing the devices.

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