Seattle adding red-light cameras at 18 new intersections

[MrCoffee]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004105198_redlight03m.html

Seattle put red-light runners on notice Wednesday. Traffic cameras will go up at 18 more intersections this year, expanding a program that has brought in more than $1 million from tickets.

Any temptation to sneak past the crosswalk after the light turns red will result in a $124 ticket — up from $101.

The new camera locations:

North Seattle

• Northwest Market Street and 15th Avenue Northwest

• 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 80th Street

• Stone Way North and North 40th Street

• Aurora Avenue North and North 85th Street

• Northeast 80th Street and Fifth Avenue Northeast

• Northeast 45th Street and Union Bay Place Northeast

Central Seattle

• Sixth Avenue and James Street

• Fifth Avenue and Spring Street

• First Avenue and Marion Street

• Broadway East and East Olive Way

• Broadway and East Pine Street

• Boren Avenue and James Street

• 23rd Avenue East and East John Street

• Ninth Avenue and James Street

South Seattle

• 14th Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street

• Southwest Avalon Way and 35th Avenue Southwest

• 35th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Thistle Street

• Rainier Avenue South and South Massachusetts Street

• South McClellan Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way South

Existing cameras

• Denny Way and Fairview Avenue North

• Rainier Avenue South and South Orcas Street

• Fifth Avenue and Spring Street

• Roosevelt Way Northeast and Northeast 45th Street

[icymist]

1. It's getting so that everywhere there's an intersection, there's a camara...

recording everything.... you, your vehicle no matter whose driving it. This don't matter to a camera. This is just about making money for the city and nothing else. My adviced is that every ticket you get, contest it. In court there is a fifty-fifty chance. Greater if the arresting cop don't show. So there!

[ManiacJoe]

2. When did these badly configured cameras become legal?

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but didn't previous WA court rulings say that if the picture did not capture the driver, then the ticket had no legal standing since it has to be the driver who is ticketed, not the car?

[maxsolomon]

3. I'm of 2 minds about this:

I don't like the suveillance culture that's creeping up on us.

I am sick & tired of drivers running red lights (coming into the intersection AFTER my direction changes green) & blocking intersections when they can't make it through.

[Acumensch]

4. Just like the UK

And DARPA has already developed biometric detectors that can identity people by the way the walk, and their faces. Supposedly they can EVEN detect whether you're inclined to be a terrorist or not too!