Photo radar a possibility in Maricopa

Will red light and photo radar be coming to a roadway near you? The answer is quite possibly.

At Tuesday evening’s city council meeting, Department of Public Safety (DPS) Commander Tom Woodward delivered a presentation on such technology for Maricopa roadways.

During his talk, Woodward noted that if speed vans are deployed around Maricopa, they could be placed in a multitude of locations. Woodward said the purpose of such technology is for traffic safety, not to raise city revenues.

According to Woodward, photo enforcement has potential for citations, but not to the degree it does on Route 101. “You will see a spike in citations initially,” Woodward said.

At the beginning of last year, and in cooperation with the State, Scottsdale started a nine-month demonstration program involving fixed speed enforcement cameras on parts of the Loop 101 freeway inside city limits. An initial report said the cameras had dropped average speeds some 10 mph, while decreasing the total number and seriousness of collisions. Since that time, Scottsdale has moved administration of the program to DPS.

Woodward noted that a timeline of events is in play when someone is captured on camera committing a driving offense.

“When photo enforcement is captured, it first goes to the vendor,” Woodward said. “The vendor then submits a request to the DMV for a match.” Woodward said the city involved in the program has two options with the system. “You can pay the vendor to be the reviewer and certifier, but it is better to have a local officer from your department be the certifier,” Woodward said.

A member of a city’s police department will look at the photos to see if those violators will receive tickets. It has to be obvious that the car and the driver are identifiable to the officer reviewing the image.

Woodward also touched on the payment options to the vendor. Cities can decide whether they want to pay vendors a flat fee or a per citation fee. “The incentive for the vendor is to keep their equipment up and running,” Woodward said.

Following the presentation, Councilman Will Dunn asked Maricopa Police Chief Patrick Melvin for his thoughts on possibly setting up such a program in the city.

“We’re just trying to create a safe environment for the citizens,” Melvin said. Melvin told inmaricopa.com that the next move is up to the council. “The council has to say this is what they want to do,” Melvin said. “If it is approved and goes forward, it could happen pretty quickly.”

“Statistically, this tool (photo radar) will improve your roadways,” Woodward added. “It has shown to be very effective. What I typically hear is that people are not excited with photo enforcement at first, but when they see the growth, they’re in favor of it.”

Councilman Ed Farrell asked Woodward if the program would be just for the city or if it would include jurisdiction for SR 347.

“Within your city boundaries, it would be your program,” Woodward said.

In just the last two months, three individuals have lost their lives in accidents on SR 347.

Photo by Joyce Hollis