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Baltimore Expands Photo Enforcement Program

City seeks to increase safety.

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore, Md., wanted to expand its present digital automated red light photo safety program of 47 red light cameras. The city will add 60 more digital cameras from ACS.

"The city and ACS have built a very successful traffic safety partnership over the past five years that has reduced the overall number of accidents and fatalities at red light camera intersections," said Al Foxx, director of the Baltimore Department of Transportation. "As it stands, side impact collisions have been reduced by 64 percent and automobile-related fatalities have been reduced by 73 percent at protected intersections."

The city will place digital red light cameras at intersections determined to be high risk. Under the supervision of the city, the company will be responsible for installing and maintaining the camera systems and performing violation processing and customer service operations.

The company will operate under the business rules and supervision set forth by the city and all citations will be reviewed by police personnel before being issued. Traffic citation fees are expected to support the cost of the program.

"We have lobbied state and local governments to aid us in our efforts to continue reducing the number of vehicle accidents and fatalities in Baltimore," said Foxx. "The use of technology is a good way to make the department more effective and efficient, and the use of red light cameras is an excellent way to keep pace with delinquent motorists."

In 2002, there were 178,000 injuries and 920 deaths related to red-light running crashes, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Photo safety programs have dramatically reduced red light violations, crashes, deaths and injuries.
Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.