By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
This police officer’s double-checking video from one of Linden’s red light cameras. Watch the bottom of the screen: yellow light, red light — but the car keeps going. Click it. He’ll get a ticket — $85. Linden’s mayor loves red light cameras.
“We extended with American Traffic Solutions the contract, but it’s all contingent on the state legislature re-approving the red light safety camera laws,” said Mayor Richard Gerbounka.
“It’s actually three months from today the cameras will be going off. God willing,” said Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon.
O’Scanlon predicts the red light camera program will sunset on Dec. 16, that lawmakers will let it expire. Gov. Chris Christie shows no real enthusiasm for it.
“So I have concerns about it and my inclination is not to continue it, but I haven’t made any final decision on it yet,” said the governor.
An ATS Spokesman said, “…with Gov. Christie acknowledging he hasn’t made the decision yet, we’re hopeful that the facts of the benefit of the program will outweigh some of the negative rhetoric.” But if the law does expire, “…we’ll work with our customers on how best to proceed. People will not be issued summonses.” And companies say, towns won’t owe them anything.
“If the New Jersey program ends, they will not be on the hook for additional revenues,” O’Scanlon said.
Linden’s red light camera setup is projected to generate almost $1.3 million this year. With no cameras, the spigot on revenues would close, and the red light camera industry is using that as part of its argument to renew the program.
The Coalition for Traffic Safety, which is admittedly funded by the red light camera industry, recently paid for a poll which alleges New Jersey residents not only want to keep red light cameras, they also allegedly want to dedicate revenues toward propping up the bankrupt Transportation Trust Fund.
“They’re gonna say, ‘Oh we’ll fix the Transportation Trust Fund with this money.’ The only way to do that would be a massive influx of cameras,” said O’Scanlon.
O’Scanlon’s so anti-red light cameras, he’s got a bill that’d withhold a New Jersey driver’s information if they got nailed by a camera out of state.
“There are people who get tickets for cars they don’t own, for infractions they didn’t commit. It is disgusting. It is government sanctioned theft. Our system here is a disaster for motorists — we’ve proven that. The systems in other states are even worse,” O’Scanlon said.
“The facts are the facts. I think Assemblyman O’Scanlon is on a crusade to end this red light safety camera program, and I totally disagree with him,” Gerbounka said. “We decided we want the red light cameras because we really feel that it is an asset to the city of Linden.”
The mayor says Linden likes its cameras — and the industry’s not willing to shutter its business here.