Free Republic

Assembly Member Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn) hates cars — except her own. The upstate-transplant socialist and “safe streets” lover has notched at least 46 (!!!) tickets these past 2½ years, for a total of more than $4,000. Turns out the white Buick of this tatted tribune of the people was caught illegally blocking fire hydrants.. Power to the workers! Unless their building’s on fire, in which case: Screw ’em. Far worse, the Rochester-reared revolutionary’s car has ripped through at least one red light — in The Bronx, a borough that’s almost 90% people of color. Guess black lives DON’T matter when...

Researchers have found that 670 nanometers (nm) of red light stimulated energy production within mitochondria, leading to increased consumption of glucose. In particular, it led to a 27.7% reduction in blood glucose levels following glucose intake, and it reduced maximum glucose spiking by 7.5%. Mitochondria provide energy for vital cellular processes, using oxygen and glucose to produce the energy-rich nucleoside adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Previous research has established that long-wavelength light between approximately 650–900 nm (spanning the visible through to the near-infrared range) can increase mitochondrial production of ATP which reduces blood glucose and also improves health/lifespan in animals. To explore...

Gov. Katie Hobbs on Friday vetoed legislation that would have outlawed red-light cameras in Arizona. ... studies have shown increases in rear-end collisions due to drivers abruptly stopping when a light turns yellow ... Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, said the cameras are "cash cows" for municipalities and the companies that operate them. "Cities and towns use the photo radar scheme to collect millions of dollars from unwitting statewide drivers each year. This traffic citation scam enables third-party companies to exploit Arizona drivers, ... Rogers said in a hearing that the companies who operate red-light cameras keep roughly 75% of the...

A recently unsealed court document reveals for the first time that two top officials at a red-light camera company were caught on undercover FBI recordings talking about giving a suburban mayor campaign contributions and other perks at the same time their firm was pressuring the mayor to increase ticket revenue. The 2018 FBI search warrant, which sought court approval to search an email account of then-Crestwood Mayor Louis Presta, was part of the broad, yearslong investigation into corruption surrounding red-light cameras operated by SafeSpeed LLC, a probe that has netted charges against more than half a dozen public officials, businessmen...

Just three minutes of exposure to deep red light once a week, when delivered in the morning, can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a pioneering new study by UCL researchers. In summary, researchers found there was, on average, a 17% improvement in participants' color contrast vision when exposed to three minutes of 670 nanometre (long wavelength) deep red light in the morning and the effects of this single exposure lasted for at least a week. However, when the same test was conducted in the afternoon, no improvement was seen. In humans around 40 years old, cells in the eye's retina...

Cease and Desist Order Issued. DENVER – The company that designed and installed red light cameras at four Denver intersections beginning in 2008 was not properly licensed according to state authorities and has been ordered to “cease and desist” such operations in Colorado. Colorado’s state board of licensure for architects, professional engineers, and professional land surveyors issued the order Aug. 16, ordering Redflex Traffic Systems to “cease and desist the unlicensed practice of engineering.” ... Redflex was never licensed to practice engineering in Colorado, yet “engaged in the unlicensed practice of engineering when (Redflex) provided professional services to the City...

Governor Greg Abbott has officially signed legislation banning red light cameras across Texas. House Bill 1631 prohibits the use of "photographic traffic signal enforcement systems". It was proposed by North Texas Rep. Jonathan Stickland (R-Bedford). Gov. Abbott signed the bill on Saturday after it passed through the House and Senate this legislative session. Even though red light cameras are now banned in the Lone Star State, you may continue to see them in some place for the next few years because the bill allows cities that could be penalized by suddenly breaking a vendor's contract to honor the contract until...

In the heart of South Beach’s entertainment district, a woman was shot dead by a police officer after causing at least one crash and then knocking a cop to the ground with her car Sunday evening. Police Chief Daniel Oates said the incident started at about 6:15 p.m., when a woman driving a black BMW westbound on 12th Street hit a Mercedes with two men inside at Collins Avenue after running a red light. An officer who was nearby on foot because he was part of additional patrols for the weekend tried to get her to stop, but she accelerated...

JACKSON, Miss. — Jackson police have made two arrests in connection with the shooting death of Chelsie Lynn Kirschten. Kirschten, 23, was shot and killed Aug. 17 as she sat in her car waiting on a red light at Fortification and State streets, according to police. The gunman said nothing when he walked up to the driver’s side closed window of Kirschten’s white Pontiac G6 and shot her in the back, police said. A passenger in Kirschten’s car told police that the gunman, who was wearing dark clothing, didn’t take anything after the shooting and walked away, investigators said.

New questions are being raised over whether red light cameras in Pueblo are more about revenue and less about safety... the city is giving drivers less time to get through those intersections which potentially increases your chance of getting a ticket. ... Almost from the start, installing red light cameras has been a controversial topic, and now the focus has shifted to how they are timed. ... According to the National Motorists Association Foundation, the yellow light at that intersection should last a minimum of 5.5 seconds. News 5 Investigates discovered the yellow light is set to last a second...

A former Chicago transportation official was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for taking bribes to steer $100 million in red-light camera contracts to a company in Phoenix. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall sentenced John Bills, 55, in Chicago moments after he apologized for his actions. Federal prosecutors had asked the judge for at least a 10-year prison sentence. The former second-in-command at Chicago's Department of Transportation was convicted in January of bribery, conspiracy and extortion. Bills was accused of accepting envelopes stuffed with cash, along with gifts — including condos in two states and a Mercedes — to...

This year, Aurora City Council doled out $864,239 in nexus funds among five nonprofits, awarding the most money to nonprofits identified by Aurora police as the most helpful to law enforcement. Aurora nonprofits that receive funding through the city’s “nexus” program dodged a legislative bullet this year, but that won’t prevent city lawmakers from taking a closer look at how the money is being spent. Six nonprofit groups in Aurora receiving money from photo red-light enforcement were relieved after Gov. John Hickenlooper vetoed legislation this year that would have created a statewide ban on the cameras. But how that money...

Full title: Red light tickets thrown out in San Mateo: City to reimburse 948 tickets issued over 45 days because cameras, signals in violation of new state lawsNearly 1,000 drivers who received a ticket for running a red light in San Mateo will be given a free pass after two of the city's red light cameras and traffic signals were found to be in violation of new state laws. The police department will toss out 948 tickets issued between Aug. 1 and Oct. 15 after a San Mateo County Superior Court judge sided with a Burlingame man who received a...

Analysis finds no safety improvement from red light cameras in Garden Grove and Los Alamitos, California. Red light cameras are disappearing from California. Once the state had more than a hundred cities using automated ticketing machines, but by now a greater number of jurisdictions have canceled their programs than have functional cameras. On Monday, the Los Alamitos city council decided to keep its cameras despite a new report showing the devices have not improved safety. Jay Beeber, Executive Director of Safer Streets LA, provided his analysis of the safety impact of photo enforcement use to the city councils in Los...

Mayor Michael Coleman announced Wednesday the termination of the city’s contract with Redflex, effective immediately. Redflex is the company that handled Columbus’ red light camera program before a state law forced the city to cease issuing citations. The announcement comes after a Redflex executive pleaded guilty to charges relating to bribing public officials. “Based upon the City’s contract authority, we will be terminating the contract with Redflex immediately,” said Mayor Coleman. “I support a photo red light camera program because it saves lives, however the actions of the Redflex executives have raised questions about the integrity of their program.”

A former chief executive officer of the red-light camera company Redflex has pleaded guilty to bribing Columbus elected officials - including Council President Andrew Ginther - through the Ohio Democratic Party to install the cameras and keep them operating in the city. Karen L. Finley, 55, of Cave Creek, Ariz., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, according a press release from Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. Records from the U.S. District in Columbus show that from 2005 to 2013, Finley made campaign contributions to elected public officials in...

Colorado’s state congress is taking another stab at banning red light cameras at intersections, according to the Denver Post today. The measure is the second one of its type in as many years, with last year’s attempt failing to gain traction. Red light cameras have been proven time and time again to be not only ineffective at making intersections safer, but have actually been demonstrated to increase the number of accidents in many places where they are used. However, they are huge revenue raisers for many states and municipalities. Opposition to the measure comes from misguided types that are unaware...

Red light camera programs in Florida are in a state of flux after a Florida District Court of Appeals judge said the current system of issuing tickets is unconstitutional. On Monday, a class action lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Miami, seeking $5 million in damages from American Traffic Solutions, which operates most of the cameras in the state. The lawsuit also demands that ATS reimburse every driver who has paid tickets issued by the company. But its not the only lawsuit against ATS in the Sunshine State. So far, plaintiffs have filed three suits. ... this means...

A Gannett propaganda outlet is the source. http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/traffic/cameras/2014/11/04/issue-35-clevelands-trafficspeed-cameras-will-be-removed/18509815/

Drivers in Chicago have gotten wise to speed cameras, budget figures show, and now the city needs to come up with $50 million in revenue. Chicagoans are costing the city tens of millions of dollars -– through good behavior. Mayor Rahm Emanuel underestimated the intelligence of Chicago drivers, and the city paid for it big time. On a smooth, wide, well-travelled stretch of Irving Park Road, running between two cemeteries — no homes, no stores, no parking — the city of Chicago is trying to balance its budget. Each flash means a photo; each photo, a violation. Each violation: a...