LCG's traffic and transporation director says the SafeLight/SafeSpeed program continues to show a sharp reduction in collisions.
Tony Tramel
Traffic and Transportation Director Tony Tramel, in a memo to Lafayette government officials and media, continues to make the case for the effectiveness of the SafeLight/SafeSpeed program in keeping Lafayette motorists safe. According to Tramel, the cameras mounted at a dozen intersections within the city limits, have reduced collisions overall by 64 percent. The most dramatic reduction was in rear-end collisions, which at the end of last year were down 80 percent compared to the three-year period before the cameras were installed.
In addition to the safety aspect, the cameras, which went on line in October of 2007, are a definite revenue cow for city coffers, generating nearly $6.8 million for the city through the end of 2012 out of a total of more than $12.3 million collected. Until June of last year the city's cut was 55 percent; the remaining 45 percent went to the vendor, RedFlex. But when the city renegotiated the contract last summer the city's take went up to 60 percent. The program, however still has its scofflaws: as of the end of 2012 roughly $895,000 in citations had not been collected.
"The reduction of traffic crashes continues to reflect a significant positive improvement in reducing traffic crashes related to driver behavior, which was originally identified as the principal purpose of the SafeLight/SafeSpeed programs," Tramel writes in conclusion. "...The net results contribute to the overall public safety in Lafayette and ultimately the citizens of Lafayette."