Never pay a red light camera ticket! Unenforceable. (merged/updated) (San Antonio: 2015, live)

[elnina]

One more thing - do you live in Leon Valley?
Are the cameras directly affecting your daily life?

Just FYI:
City Manager Kelly Kuenstler said: "the program, which began with citizen requests for more enforcement on the dangerous stretch of road, has been warmly embraced by the people who live in Leon Valley..
Complaints from the residents turned into a policy by the City Council and here we are today with a program in place that's working, it's effective, it's well run and it's proving itself."
https://www.kens5.com/mobile/article.../273-624044686
https://www.kens5.com/mobile/article.../273-624246305

Right now the red light camera law requires that cities compile annual crash data for each intersection with a red light camera and turn those reports into the Texas Department of Transportation, which are then posted for the public to see.
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/D...07.htm#707.003

All we can do is wait and see if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will be able to turn off red light cameras across Texas.
Since 2014, there have been numerous bills attempting to repeal or allow a process for voters to repeal red light camera ordinances. Many more bills called for an outright state prohibition on red light cameras or on civil or criminal enforcement based on their captured information.
However, none of these bills reached the governor’s desk, all failing in the legislative process.

It won't be easy, though. Red light cams are a lucrative business, and repeated efforts to outlaw red-light cameras have fallen short at the Legislature.
https://www.statesman.com/nationworl...-light-cameras

[Azure110]

My issue with LV using facebook to make their point about red light cameras is that the city and police department is only going to post information on there that paints red light cameras in a positive way only.

Facebook isn't a good source of getting all the facts.

[baytownb]

Boy for someone that "doesn't care" about this issue, doesn't live in the area and is "completely neutral" on it you sure seem to spend a lot of time and effort trying to advocate for them. Interesting.

Originally Posted by elnina

One more thing - do you live in Leon Valley?
Are the cameras directly affecting your daily life?

Just FYI:
City Manager Kelly Kuenstler said: "the program, which began with citizen requests for more enforcement on the dangerous stretch of road, has been warmly embraced by the people who live in Leon Valley..
Complaints from the residents turned into a policy by the City Council and here we are today with a program in place that's working, it's effective, it's well run and it's proving itself."
https://www.kens5.com/mobile/article.../273-624044686
https://www.kens5.com/mobile/article.../273-624246305

Right now the red light camera law requires that cities compile annual crash data for each intersection with a red light camera and turn those reports into the Texas Department of Transportation, which are then posted for the public to see.
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/D...07.htm#707.003

All we can do is wait and see if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will be able to turn off red light cameras across Texas.
Since 2014, there have been numerous bills attempting to repeal or allow a process for voters to repeal red light camera ordinances. Many more bills called for an outright state prohibition on red light cameras or on civil or criminal enforcement based on their captured information.
However, none of these bills reached the governor’s desk, all failing in the legislative process.

It won't be easy, though. Red light cams are a lucrative business, and repeated efforts to outlaw red-light cameras have fallen short at the Legislature.
https://www.statesman.com/nationworl...-light-cameras

[baytownb]

Updated information;

Just to be sure I covered all bases with the city on my public information request that shows the Police Chief Joe Salvaggio lied on the KENS5 interview saying you won't be able to renew your registration with outstanding red light camera tickets I sent in a new request as the following;

"Please send copies of all responsive items in the city's possession including but not limited to; manuals, contracts, receipts, memos, emails, lists, databases, documents, notes, text messages, recordings, journal entries, logbooks, handwritten items, calendars etc. related to the city's red light camera program containing information on scofflaw registration holds for failure to pay a red light camera fine from Leon Valley or any activities or policies related to collecting unpaid red light camera fines from Leon Valley."


The response from the city was the exact same thing;


"We have no records responsive to this request."

Since the only way registrations can have a chance of getting blocked for unpaid camera tickets is if they are reported to the state to get red flagged for a registration hold there isn't one single person with an unpaid Leon Valley red light camera ticket that can't renew the registration on their vehicle. So why would the chief say something he knows isn't true? Simple, it is and always has been about the millions of dollars they want to collect. That's worth lying to scare people into thinking they have to pay when they do not. Lying to the public to convince them that something will happen that can not happen is simply a scare tactic and is cheaper than paying the state to block them. That cuts into their profits too much.


Even at some point if the city decides they have to start reporting to try to collect on their unpaid camera tickets several Texas counties have declared they will never block registrations for unpaid camera tickets saying it interferes with their collection of registrations and aren't getting paid to administer the collections. Bexar county has not made a public policy declaration that they would honor the holds even if the city does start reporting. If your vehicle is in one of the several large counties that never block you can always renew. And even if you don't you can ALWAYS renew your registration with simple extra steps.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by baytownb

Boy for someone that "doesn't care" about this issue, doesn't live in the area and is "completely neutral" on it you sure seem to spend a lot of time and effort trying to advocate for them. Interesting.

exactly

I got a red light ticket in Arlington TX one time. I stopped at the light, then turned right on red. I paid the $75 fine and never once set foot (or tire) back in their craptastic city. It's a hellhole anyway. Honestly Leon Valley is about the same, in my opinion. I would just pay the fine and then never go there again.

Yeah, I know, Arlington doesn't miss me one iota. I don't care.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by Azure110

My issue with LV using facebook to make their point about red light cameras is that the city and police department is only going to post information on there that paints red light cameras in a positive way only.

Facebook isn't a good source of getting all the facts.

That wasn't the purpose of their post. They're trying to get folks' awareness up about obeying the traffic lights. The most recent one was where the light-runner barreled through a light where other vehicles had already stopped.

I honestly don't understand why they're having so many light-runners there - if it's folks that are distracted, or that simply think they don't have to bother - but it can be deadly. I grew up in Leon Valley, and as lights were added because of traffic flow, folks generally seemed to obey them. In recent years, however, that seems to have changed tremendously.

[resonator]

Not hitting a full stop, take a breath, count to one, before turning right on red is not the same as Running the Light.

[baytownb]

Well if you didn't know, we helped get the issue on the ballot in Arlington where, just like every other time existing cameras can be voted on by Texans, they were voted out by a fair margin even with the PD threatening to get rid of their DWI unit if they were voted out (didn't happen). And the previously popular mayor also got voted out in that election, he was backing the cameras in the vote.

Originally Posted by sapphire

exactly

I got a red light ticket in Arlington TX one time. I stopped at the light, then turned right on red. I paid the $75 fine and never once set foot (or tire) back in their craptastic city. It's a hellhole anyway. Honestly Leon Valley is about the same, in my opinion. I would just pay the fine and then never go there again.

Yeah, I know, Arlington doesn't miss me one iota. I don't care.

[sapphire]

Originally Posted by baytownb

Well if you didn't know, we helped get the issue on the ballot in Arlington where, just like every other time existing cameras can be voted on by Texans, they were voted out by a fair margin even with the PD threatening to get rid of their DWI unit if they were voted out (didn't happen). And the previously popular mayor also got voted out in that election, he was backing the cameras in the vote.

Good work! Seems like the people who hate cops absolutely LOVE red light cameras. It's weird. I'm a police supporter but red light cameras are just plain wrong.

[TexasRedneck]

Originally Posted by sapphire

Good work! Seems like the people who hate cops absolutely LOVE red light cameras. It's weird. I'm a police supporter but red light cameras are just plain wrong.

LOL - we're on other sides of this coin, in a way. I was REALLY against the RL cameras until I saw just what was going on in Leon Valley. They've almost turned it into a sport as they "push" the lights...and then someone gets hurt, often badly. Then what? "Oh, I'm sorry I turned your child/spouse into a cripple, unable to walk again - here's the limits of my insurace (the princely sum of $20-30k), go have a nice life, because I have nothing you can sue for." They don't lose their license - heck, they don't even lose the CAR. I had a friend T-boned up here in NB last month. His car was totaled - the trash that hit him had NO insurance - and they are STILL driving that car around town.

Sorry - if I run a red light, I'm gonna pay the fine - even if it's because of a camera - because I BROKE THE LAW. The law exists to ensure the orderly conduct of society, and we're so busy trying to find excuses for our misconduct that we forget that our fellow citizens DESERVE to conduct THEIR lives without consequences from OUR actions.

Y'all can have the soap box now - I'm done with this.