Marion traffic cameras to go live next week

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the speed at which drivers will receive a warning or a ticket.

Traffic cameras at two intersections in Marion will be installed and ready to go live for a 30-day warning period starting sometime next week, according to Marion Police Chief Mike Kitsmiller.

Drivers caught on camera going more than 11 mph over the speed limit or running a red light will receive a warning in the mail for the first 30 days the cameras are live. After that, violations will result in a citation mailed to the owner of the vehicle.

If a driver doesn’t respond to a citation, a second notice will be sent out seven days later. After another 14 days, if the citation hasn’t been paid, it will be sent to a collections agency, according to an update from the city last week.

The cameras will be installed at the intersection of Highway 100 and East Post Road and the intersection of Highway 13 and Highway 151. The original goal was to have them up and running by July 1, but the city still is waiting on certification from the Iowa Department of Transportation after changing some details of the signage, so the cameras may not be up until sometime next week, Kitsmiller said.

There also will be a mobile camera unit that can be placed in areas throughout the city to monitor for speeding. The mobile unit will be used based on citizen complaints, and the police department will post information about its location on its Facebook page at least 12 hours before it is deployed.

The Marion City Council approved an ordinance allowing for the use of traffic cameras in the city in April, and approved the contract for the cameras in May. The city is contracting with Sensys Gatso, the same company that operates the traffic cameras in Cedar Rapids.

There is no upfront cost to the city of Marion for the cameras, but Sensys Gato will receive $35 from every paid citation made through the traffic cameras. The initial contract will last five years, but may be extended after that on a two-year basis.

The cameras in Marion will issue tickets for speeds starting at 11 mph over the speed limit, similar to other traffic cameras in the area. In Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown, tickets are issued for speeds more than 11 mph over the speed limit.

Marshalltown’s traffic cameras were installed May 23, and the city recently ended its 30-day warning period. From May 23 to June 20, the two traffic cameras in Marshalltown issued 1,871 speeding warnings, according to a news release from the city.

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