Cameras on signals keep traffic moving
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers NOT WHAT YOU MAY THINK- The camera positioned above the traffic signal at Cochran Street and Erringer Road is not there to ticket drivers who run red lights.

The cameras watching over intersections in Simi Valley are not for catching motorists running red lights, but instead for telling red lights when to turn green.

Jim Brunner, the city's chief traffic engineer, said the cameras are in place for traffic detection.

"The detection method we used to have was loops in the pavement. Now there's a newer technology where a camera detects whether a car is in the lane. It then gives a green light for movement," Brunner said.

Of the 120 signalized intersections throughout Simi Valley, about 23 have traffic detection cameras. Since the first ones were installed in 1998, some residents have questioned what the cameras were actually being used for.

Brunner said while some intersections still use the loops, which are buried underground, traffic detection cameras are much more cost-efficient because they don't have to be replaced whenever the city overlays a street.

Sgt. Jeff Malgren of the Simi Valley Police Department said he remembers the City Council considering the implementation of red light cameras years ago, but the council decided not to use them at that time.

"It's a very expensive system because it doesn't start paying for itself for quite a few years," Malgren said.

Last month alone, the police department issued 32 citations for red light violations. The average fine for running a red light is around $300, depending on the violator's prior driving history.

"Running red lights throughout the city is a problem," Malgren said. "It's not just running red lights, but illegal right turns and running red arrows too. It's always a hazard, and that's why the fine is so expensive. The penalty is much higher for that because of its potential for a greater magnitude accident."

In Ventura County, both the Ventura and Oxnard police departments utilize red light cameras.

When asked whether he thinks Simi Valley should have the cameras installed, Malgren said they would likely improve the safety of drivers.

"Any kind of thing that discourages motorists from going through a red light and not getting into an accident is a good thing," Malgren said. "But it's also an immeasurable thing. There's no way to quantify how many accidents they would actually prevent."