The ticket to safer intersections

Recently, Iowa City Manager Tom Markus voiced his support for installing traffic enforcement cameras at 10 of the city's most accident-prone intersections.

He joins Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine, who asked the council to consider the idea of speed and red-light cameras this spring.

We agree there could be significant public safety benefits to be gained by installing red-light cameras.

Traffic cameras have had a clear, positive impact on public safety in other cities.

Police in Davenport and Cedar Rapids, for example, have reported significant reductions in collisions at intersections and safer driving behavior after traffic enforcement cameras were installed.

In Cedar Rapids, motor vehicle crashes dropped by 40 percent at the eight intersections with red-light cameras in their first year alone.

In Iowa City, where vehicle and pedestrian traffic can sometimes be intense, a similar decrease would be welcome - reducing injuries, minimizing property damage and freeing up police officers' time.

There's plenty of room for improvement: Recently released data show that hundreds of cars each day are running red lights at 10 Iowa City intersections pegged by police as potential spots for red-light cameras.

Red-light runners have contributed to dozens of crashes injuring 32 motorists and causing more than $1 million in damage in the past decade, according to transportation planners.

Planners estimate that more than 200 motorists run red lights at Avenue and Mormon Trek Boulevard in an average 24-hour period, for example.

Red-light cameras could do much to shrink that number and make intersections safer.

Council members could require regular reporting to make sure the cameras are having the desired effect on public safety and to alleviate concerns of critics' who call red-light cameras a municipal money grab.

It's true the cameras can bring in significant revenue - especially at first, as drivers become accustomed to the increased accountability.

Frankly, that's another benefit for Iowa City, which could use red-light ticket revenues to fund public safety equipment and staff.

But ideally, that ticket revenue would drop off as drivers develop safer driving habits. The city's long-term goal shouldn't be to make money, but to make the streets safer.

To that end, installing red-light cameras might be just the ticket.

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