“Festive” Protest Takes On Traffic Cameras In Jonesborough
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Festive Protest Takes On Traffic Cameras In Jonesborough...
Jonesborough's cameras along the 11-E bypass inspired a protest Saturday, led by a senior at East Tennessee State University with a passion for the U.S. Constitution.
George Jackson/11 Connects
One protester uses a baseball bat to knock an effigy of a Redflex camera from its base
Jonesborough, Tenn.—Love ‘em or hate ‘em, traffic cameras are popping up all over our region.
Kingsport, Mount Carmel and Johnson City all have red-light or speed cameras in place, or have plans to install them.
Jonesborough’s cameras along the 11-E bypass inspired a protest Saturday, led by a senior at East Tennessee State University with a passion for the U.S. Constitution.
The cameras were erected this January, spent one month in “warning phase,“ and Jonesborough mailed the first citations this February.
“The town has been paid right at $10,000,“ said Craig Ford, director of public safety.
It’s not about the money, Ford said. Jonesborough started this program to keep its residents safe—period.
“You take that resident population of 4,500 people and we’re running about 30,000 cars a day on 11-E. We’re running about 12,000 cars a day on Main Street.“
Matthew Jeffers, a student activist and constitutional enthusiast, viewed that kind of traffic in a positive light.
“My Aunt works up here. She owns Bloomers Florals. About a dozen customers told her {sic} they’re taking the old highway to avoid having to go through these revenue traps.“
Jeffers also thinks Redflex Traffic Systems, a company based in Australia that maintains Jonesborough’s traffic cameras, has access to too much information.
“I hope it concerns people that Redflex has access to their license plate, their driver’s license number, their social security number, their address, their telephone number. All that private information rests in the hands of a private foreign corporation. That’s very disturbing.“
But Ford said the town couldn’t afford the lights without them. “Each on of these cameras, at least we have been told, costs approximately $100,000,“ he said.
The goals of Jeffers’ protest: to raise awareness, generate a petition, and put pressure on the board of mayor and alderman.
“In this town we’ve got three, four, five, six-hundred people—residents, registered voters—that will vote you out of office unless you listen to them.“
Jeffers said Jonesborough’s cameras also violate the fourth, fifth, and eighth amendments (in order: the right to unreasonable search and seizure, due process, and protection from excessive bail).
Tennessee Attorney General Robert E. Cooper disagreed. In fact, he addressed the question in an opinion drafted on November 26th, 2008 (to read it, click the link at left).
Click the play icon above for a video version of this report.
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Reader Reactions
Lots of good discussion here. Personally I do not run red lights. I just hope that the Town of Jonesborough uses some of the revenue from these tickets to pave those “simulated moon landscapes” they call streets, especially on the outskirts of town (you know where tourists do not see them). In particular Rocky Hollow Road and Skyline Drive. Are you listening Mr. Mayor.
As far as “my ignorance of the subject”. I am not an engineer, police officer, or city official. I am however a driver, who travels from one end of this town to the other multiple times per day.
I reviewed the website you referenced and I will admit I did not read the entire study (it was 136 pages) but read several excerpts and the conclusion. I have no reason to debate the validity of their study. As any educated, open-minded, and free thinking individual I consider all possibilities.
But the one thing I base my experiences on is what I have seen with my own eyes.
Today for example I made 3 trips toward JC and 3 trips back to JBO. Each trip using 11-E,going thru the RLC’s (all 3 of them).
Based on my calculations for the year so far…
6 times thru the cameras daily x 5 days/week (give or take) x 19 weeks(since the cameras were installed).....which means I have went through the RLC’s 570 times since January.
And NEVER got a ticket? I have yet to see a wreck? How is that possible?
I did find out the yellow light is 5 seconds long at each intersection. Do you feel that is inaccurate?
Yes, most people learn from their errors but even so, I continue to make them ocassionally, and again, I’m sure you do too. You must run with a different crowd, but I have never seen anyone intentionally run a red light in the middle of the day in a busy intersection, many seconds into the red light with cross-traffic well into the intersection. This is a death wish even for the most callous drivers, and they know it too. Such people won’t be stopped by cameras either.
Your understanding of the timing is probably inaccurate. Your response indicates your ingorance on the subject as you are obviously unaware of the studies and data, and engineering standards.
Your sources are both highly biased because both are highly motivated by millions of dollars generated by PE. The national campaign is sponsored by camera vendors - big surprise there. Try to find some more independent sources, like this: http://thenewspaper.com/news/27/2774.asp The article contains a link to the actual study performed by an independent engineering firm, hired by a city. You probably won’t bother, but if you read the report or the article, you’ll see that the conclusion is that cameras would be inappropriate in their city. The results would likely be the same in Baltimore or any other city. Enforcement is a step that should be taken only after all engineering solutions have failed. In Baltimore, they haven’t even tried to “fix” the intersections before resorting to the money maker.
And while privacy is not one of my big concerns, if you allow cameras to proliferate, soon for your $10 you will also be able to retrive records of which cameras you drove by and when, allowing stalkers to take things to a whole nother level.
Of course we have all made errors in judgement..and will continue too…we are human. Most people learn from those errors. However red light runners usually will always run lights if it suites them.
My understanding on the Redflex cameras is the yellow light was extended from 3 seconds to 5 seconds. Then what 6 secs,7 secs, or even 8. When does it stop?
This website was done by the City of Baltimore. They have had cameras for 10 years.
www.ci.baltimore.md.us/government/transportation/redlightcameras.html
http://www.stopredlightrunning.com/html/newsrelease_011905.htm
Also I was at first concerned about privacy….so I did a little test. I took my tag number to this website
http://www.license-plates-search.com/index/main.htm
For $10 I got my name, address, phone number, VIN of vehicle, make/model of vehicle, plus other stuff. It was a little scary…I can use any tag number I want sitting in an intersection. And my $10 gets me unlimited searches.
Bsnurse, your post is a perfect example of what I am saying. Those “near misses” are caused by error in judgement. Errors by regular drivers, just like you and I. I’m not afraid to admit I’ve made errors in judgement while driving, and I’m sure you have too. Why not extend the yellow light time by 1 second and make the intersection a little more forgiving? Oh, that’s right. Because it wouldn’t MAKE MONEY, and God forbid someone make an error in judgement now and then (as if a camera will stop errors in judgement from happening).
And please, I’d love to see some of the websites with data that you’re referring to that aren’t done by vested parties like the IIHS, government agency, or camera vendor. If you’re going to say it exists, you’d better be ready to show it.
My apologies to anyone offended…however I live in this town and drive these roads everyday. I think the red light cameras are a GREAT benefit.
I guess I take offense to people bashing my town and my elected officials when the vast majority of protestors don’t have a dog in the race. If the residents of JBO don’t have a problem I don’t see why everyone else does.
Their are just as many websites providing statistical data in regards to accidents and violations in favor of cameras. They only legal way police can enforce red light camera violations is by tickets. State law won’t allow community service or suspending driving privleges.
I have had so many near misses at intersections because people think they can beat the light. I will admit I was NOT thrilled about the cameras. But after watching the traffic for four months. I can only think of positive things to say.
This is a website by the insurance institue on highway safety.
www.iihs.org/research/qanda/rlr.html
bsnurse2… this will be my last post, as I am not here for a continual argument with you and it is a waste of my time as you seem to enjoy being combative.
I’m sorry you have been offended by me, because, as I said before I DO NOT care about the cameras one way or another. I was not at the Jboro protest, so I don’t know anything about the signatures, and again, I don’t care.
I do not know Mr. Jeffers personally, but I did hear him speak at the NETN Tea Party that was held April 15 in Kingsport. Your words about him were: “The terms student activist and constitutional enthusiast…. translate into professional student, who doesn’t want to grow up and get a job.“
My point is that he is a student and a veteran, and I believe you are wrong in saying that he doesn’t want to “grow up and get a job.“ You made an assumption, and your assumption was wrong.
Also, where I live is really none of your business. However, I will say that I do live in a town that has red light cameras, thank you very much, and again I DO NOT care one way or another.
I hope you have a fantastic and peaceful day. 
MTNGIRL…I’m assuming you know Mr. Jeffers personally. So exactly how many verified signatures of JBO residents did he get?
This one question will answer a lot of things for me. Does photoradar sca, mtngirl, or anyone else on this blo live in JBO?
The vast majority of speeders, and red light runners are from Greene, Unicoi, Sullivan. I have been told by other sources each video is reviewed for accuracy and the violator was in error. Before the ticket is issued.
Another issue I have with the protest. It drags extra police officer, EMS, and fire personnel away from their family. I went to the post office that day…their were more officers than protestors. Does this same group plan on going to all the other cities in TN when they install cameras? If they do, kudos to them.
To bsnurse2…. I never said being a veteran had ANYTHING to do with red light cameras, and if you would re-read my post, I believe you would see that.
I was simply stating that I disagree with your assumption that Mr. Jeffers is a “professional student who doesn’t want to grow up.“ I believe those were the words you used to describe him. I personally could care less about the cameras themselves, but I think it’s wrong for any of us to make an assumption about a person as you did.
Bsnurse, you are wrong that most people won’t stop for a red light unless there’s a chance of getting a ticket. The vast majority of the public are good and safe drivers as indicated by their driving records. People don’t stop because they might get a ticket, people stop because they don’t want to have an accident.
Study after study has shown that intersections without cameras are SAFER than intersections with cameras. Sorry to break it to you, but that’s the truth. City after city has removed cameras from their intersections because the programs didn’t make the streets safer!
The bottom line is that if it really was about safety, city officials would exhaust available engineering measures before resorting to photo enforcement (PE). Lengthening yellow light times is 100% effective in reducing red light violations, typically by 50 to 80%. This measure is cheap and easy, but it doesn’t make any money for anyone so officials just aren’t interested in achieving natural compliance. You might want to spend more time at PhotoRadarScam.com.
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