For the second time in a year, Baltimore has pulled the plug on both its red-light and speed enforcement cameras, paying the contractor $600,000 to do so. Re-evaluation will determine where the city, which now owns most of the cameras, goes next.
"Termination of the (five-year) contract with Brekford Corp. puts the future of the city's speed and red-light camera system in question. One city councilwoman says it's time to stop using technology to nab speeders and red-light runners," write Scott Calvert and Yvonne Wenger of The Baltimore Sun.
Sources familiar with discussions between the city and Brekford said city officials had grown frustrated with the company's mistakes in trying to revive Baltimore's program, once North America's largest with more than 160 cameras. Speed cameras alone generated $50 million since 2009.
Tests by the city after the program went offline showed that, almost a year after Brekford took over in January, the system was still troubled by inaccurate speed readings, incorrect addresses and tickets listing wrong information on how to pay a citation, city officials have said.
Inaccuracies plagued the prior contractor as well. A Baltimore Sun investigation had revealed many glaring errors with Xerox State and Local Solutions, "including one that ticketed a driver for speeding while stopped at a red light."
Where the city goes from here will be determined after evaluation of the past program. Some on council still support using traffic enforcement technology. The termination agreement with Brekford will leave most of the cameras and associated technical network in city hands - for which the city had made "a previous payment to Brekford of $700,000 in August. The city has said that was partial payment for Brekford's purchase of 72 speed camera units, for which the city had agreed to pay $2.2 million," according to the Sun reporters.
Ending the five-year contract early will allow the city to "re-evaluate the scope" of its speed and red light camera program, change the way it compensates the vendor and "better execute the public safety mission of automated traffic enforcement," according to a memo from a city attorney describing the deal.
The $600,000 payment to Brekford was approved by the Baltimore City Board of Estimates [Agenda, PDF] on Wednesday, reported Fox 45 of Baltimore.
Nearby Washington D.C. has embraced the use of speed cameras for a variety of applications as we noted in September.
An extended version of this article can be found in The Baltimore Sun.
FULL STORY: Baltimore Will End Speed Camera Contract
States Have Mixed Feelings on Speed Cameras
While some states and cities are embracing automated traffic enforcement as a tool for improving road safety, others are banning the technology over concerns that the programs are designed for profit rather than public benefit.
Philadelphia to Add New Speed Cameras
Speeding violations on streets with automated traffic enforcement are down by 95 percent, according to city officials.
Iowa Outlaws Most Automated Speed Cameras
The Iowa Department of Transportation has rejected a majority of applications to continue speed camera programs in cities across the state based on a new state law that requires state-issued permits for automated traffic enforcement.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research