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File #: 2006-1052    Version: 1
Type: Resolution Status: Died due to expiration of legislative council session
File created: 12/12/2006 In control: Committee on Public Safety Services
On agenda: Final action: 12/31/2007
Enactment date: Enactment #:
Effective date:    
Title: Resolution of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh (1) calling on the Pennsylvania State Legislature to amend section 3116 of the Consolidated Statutes to authorize cities of the second class, as was done for cities of the first class, to enforce section 3112(a)(3) (relating to traffic control signals) by recording violations using an automated red light enforcement system approved by the department of transportation; (2) authorizing and directing the Mayor, in consultation with other city agencies, to issue, for City Council's review and approval prior to issuance, a Request for Proposal (RFP) to furnish and install red-light cameras for the City of Pittsburgh, at intersections to be determined with Council's review and approval, at no cost to the City's operating budget; and (3) establishing a Safe Streets Initiative Trust Fund, financed by the augmented revenue accumulated from the increased number of citations issued from the red-light enforcement systems.
Sponsors: William Peduto
Indexes: MISCELLANEOUS, PGH. CODE ORDINANCES TITLE 05 - TRAFFIC
Attachments: 1. 2006-1052.doc
 
Presenter
Presented by Mr. Peduto
 
Title
Resolution of the Council of the City of Pittsburgh (1) calling on the Pennsylvania State Legislature to amend section 3116 of the Consolidated Statutes to authorize cities of the second class, as was done for cities of the first class, to enforce section 3112(a)(3) (relating to traffic control signals) by recording violations using an automated red light enforcement system approved by the department of transportation; (2) authorizing and directing the Mayor, in consultation with other city agencies, to issue, for City Council's review and approval prior to issuance, a Request for Proposal (RFP) to furnish and install red-light cameras for the City of Pittsburgh, at intersections to be determined with Council's review and approval, at no cost to the City's operating budget; and (3) establishing a Safe Streets Initiative Trust Fund, financed by the augmented revenue accumulated from the increased number of citations issued from the red-light enforcement systems.
 
Body
WHEREAS, a road rule enforcement camera is a system including a camera <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera> and a vehicle <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle>-monitoring device used to detect and identify vehicles disobeying traffic laws without need of officers on the scene; and
 
WHEREAS, the City of Pittsburgh has a limited number of traffic enforcement officers whose resources and time could be better committed to attend to many other traffic safety concerns throughout the City besides traffic light violations; and
 
WHEREAS, the camera system's efficacy is largely due to its efficient capability to record traffic light violations, where the number of citations the system records is several times greater than an officer would be capable of issuing in the same period of time; and
 
WHEREAS, not only does the system yield a decrease in the number of traffic light violations at the intersection where it is installed, it also provides greater revenue for the traffic authority issuing the citations due to the increase in citations issued; and
 
WHEREAS, cities including Philadelphia, Houston, Washington, D.C. and others have incorporated red-light cameras into their traffic enforcement equipment and all have seen a decrease in traffic violations; and
 
WHEREAS, Washington, D.C. generates approximately $5 million dollars a year from its red light camera program; and
 
WHEREAS, the increase in revenue from citations will be invested in planning, equipment and other resources for intersections and other potentially hazardous traffic areas to improve their safety; and
 
WHEREAS, the installation and maintenance of the red-light camera systems shall be performed by the company awarded the contract, at no cost to the City, and the company shall receive an annual flat fee in exchange for the initial installation, continued maintenance, and processing duties of the camera systems.
 
Be it resolved by the Council of the City of Pittsburgh as follows:
 
Section 1.      The Council of the City of Pittsburgh hereby requests that the Pennsylvania State Legislature amend section 3116 of the Consolidated Statutes to authorize cities of the second class, as was done for cities of the first class, to enforce section 3112(a)(3) (relating to traffic control signals) by recording violations using an automated red light enforcement system approved by the department of transportation.
 
Section 2.      The Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, in consultation with the City Police Department and the Finance Department, is authorized and directed to issue, for City Council's review and approval prior to issuance, a RFP to furnish and install red-light cameras for the City of Pittsburgh, at intersections to be determined with Council's review and approval, at no cost to the City's operating budget.
 
Section 3.      A Safe Streets Initiative Trust Fund shall be established, financed by the funds procured from the implementation of the red-light camera systems, for the purpose of increasing pedestrian and bicycle safety throughout the City of Pittsburgh.