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Cameras that photograph speeders and red-light-runners could go the way of the dinosaur if bipartisan legislation that would prohibit the devices passes the state House and Senate this year.
The Denver Post reports there’s sweeping support in both chambers to eliminate the cameras—which are designed to capture driving infractions—but have been a target for critics who accuse communities of using the devices simply to increase revenue. Supporters of a plan recently introduced in the state Senate say the cameras have done little to increase safety in communities that use them. “These cameras just create revenue for cities and don’t actually increase public safety at our intersections,” the bill’s prime House sponsor, Speaker Mark Ferrandino (D-Denver) told the Post. “I think we should be focused on making people safe, not raising money.”
A similar camera ban has been introduced in previous years by Greeley Republican Senator Scott Renfroe, but this appears to be the first time the measure has generated such large support on both political sides. If the legislation passed and then were signed by Governor John Hickenlooper—his office told the Post its policy team is studying the proposal—Colorado would join Arkansas, New Jersey, and Wisconsin as states that have banned photo radar. “Intersections should be about safety, not money,” Renfroe told the Post. “The data is mixed. Does it increase safety? Does it not increase safety? One thing that is clear is that there’s other ways to increase safety at intersections.”
—Image courtesy of Shutterstock