Mayor, council deserve thanks for camera restart

I would like to offer a note of thanks to Mayor Brad Hart and the City Council for their good judgment concerning turning the speed and red light cameras back on. According to an article in the May 17 Gazette, a new, fully equipped squad car now costs more than $50,000, with an average life expectancy of five years. Perhaps without having to chase speeders and red-light runners that new squad car might last six years. I know basically nothing about the life expectancy or maintenance of a speed camera, but I'm sure it's less than operating a squad car. Plus, the camera equipment is already here, so let's use it.

I'm not forgetting the safety factor of maybe slowing the traffic a bit, especially on the (I-380) S-curve. The saving of lives and injuries on 380 is the main goal. Once a speed-related fatality or injury has occurred, it's too late to say we should have done something. Thank you for doing it now.

Frank Zieser

Cedar Rapids