On one side, the bill on red light cameras awaiting signature by the governor removes the clouds on legality, codifies violations as civil offenses, sets common rules for all cities, and pretty much conforms to what Garland has been doing all along. On the other side, we must share 50% of the fines with the state (after operating expenses), formally establish a review commission, and conduct studies prior to adding intersections. The bill that passed closely matches the city's lobbying efforts.

James McCarley, Dallas Regional Mobility Commission Director, expressed it this way to members of the DRMC:

In the final hours of the Session, Sen. Carona and Rep. Murphy were successful in combining language from SB 125 into SB 1119 through the Conference Committee report on SB 1119 and it was adopted by the House and Senate. As you recall, both bills require the other to pass for either to become effective. The final bill now clearly provides authority for local government use of automated red light enforcement although strict criteria is set forth in the bill as to selection of the enforcement locations. There is also a requirement for a split of the revenue, after certain expenses, on a 50/50 basis between the local government and State (for trauma care funding).

I have posted on red light cameras numerous times. I have emphasized that those just one year ago claiming the state would never take any of the funds were dead wrong. I have shared data that showed the cameras really did cut the number of offenses and accidents. I explained why we could not count on supporting a helicopter from these funds.

I have also emphasized that saving lives was important to me, the income was not; if the cameras were effective, then income should drop.

And fine collections have been dropping dramatically. The state will not have that much to share with Garland. Currently, fines resulting from offenses captured by the cameras is 62.8% below last year and 79.8% below amounts expected this year. Camera performance has been audited and the conclusion is simple: people are not running lights at the monitored intersections as much as last year and before. Some of the drop is also due to construction along IH-635 and the subsequent removal of two cameras.

Those practices that started in Garland, as the statewide innovator, are now being copied statewide; this Council has not viewed the fines as more than one-time monies; and this Council has not tied the Citizens to long-term obligations from these one-time monies.

Another bill headed to the governor's desk prohibits cities from using speeding cameras, a law I can emphatically support. The bill authored by Representative Vicki Truitt (Southlake) received unanimous support in the House (148-0) and overwhelming support in the Senate (27-4).

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