The Texas House of Representatives voted on Friday to bring an end to the use of red light cameras in the state. During consideration of a bill to reauthorize the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), members debated over 180 amendments to the underlying legislation. Amendment Number 102 added a sunset clause to state approval for the use of automated ticketing machines. This provision passed by a vote of 107-36 and the underlying TxDOT reauthorization measure was adopted on a voice vote.
State Representatives Gary Elkins (R-Houston) and Solomon Ortiz, Jr. (D-Corpus Christi) led the bipartisan effort to forbid cities from entering into any new red light camera contract after June 1 or from extending or renewing any existing contract. As a result, photo enforcement would eventually come to an end in the Lone Star state as contracts generally last no more than two to five years.
It is a close call whether the sunset provision will make it into law, based on the Texas legislature’s history with red light cameras. Between 1995 and 2003 the House rejected open attempts to authorize the cameras in four legislative sessions. That did not stop Representative Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) who snuck a one-sentence provision allowing municipalities to issue “civil” citations for traffic crimes into unrelated legislation dealing with commercial motor vehicle standards. The provision became law in 2003.
Many House members were furious at what they saw as an underhanded move and voted by a three-to-one margin to overturn the provision. The state Senate, however, did not share the enthusiasm of the House. Although a majority of senators voted to strip Harper-Brown’s langauge, the Senate leadership allowed the effort to die with a parliamentary maneuver.
Ortiz and Elkins have a backup plan. If the Senate allows photo ticketing to survive, the representatives added another measure to protect drivers from being trapped by short yellows.
“[TxDOT] by rule shall require that the change interval in a light equipped with a photographic traffic signal enforcement system must be at least one second longer than the minimum change interval established in accordance with the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices,” the Ortiz-Elkins amendment states.
Already, the states of Ohio and Georgia have enacted longer yellow requirements to great effect. In Georgia, seven cities known to have lengthened yellows since January have seen violations decrease by 70 to 80 percent. A Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) study documented a 40 percent decrease in collisions after testing the benefits of increasing the yellow warning given to motorists before an intersection signal changes from green to red (view study).
two items…voice votes are normally not counted, fans of Prohibition will recall it was also a voice vote.
Sunset provisions can be changed. All they do is make sure the issue comes up again for a vote. Here in NY we’ve had a “temporary demonstration project” for redlight scameras and it has been “temporarily reauthorized” at least four times.
I am quite pleasantly surprised that Gary Elkins (R-Houston) and Solomon Ortiz, Jr. (D-Corpus Christi) thought this through enough to haave a backup plan for snake oil polititions like Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving). I hope Texans remember them come re-election time. I also hope they and those like them consider leadership at the national level.
Maybe Texas can resell them to Alabama? (See TTAC link:
https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/alabama-legislature-approves-red-light-cameras/)
How about the government do what it does best and set a national standard for yellow light times? They poke their nose into everything else enough. Considering everything else they have a federal standard for yellow lights should be an easy one. Toss a few bucks at the states to pay for the adjustments and we an enjoy the benefits for years to come.
But that might cut into that take at the collections office.
Wondering which way the Texas Senate will go on this issue is kinda like wondering what slant Fox News will take concerning anything Obama says.
Meanwhile they are installing cameras today in town here, and I’m sure the city will sign a nice long contract…