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Since the RLC is to be at Derry and Trafalgar, odds are it would have been useless preventing accidents at Trafalgar and Britannia no? So we come back to the question of what research supports Derry and Trafalgar as the most appropriate site for the RLC.

Don't write off the question-askers as naysayers. I am not anti-RLC. I'm just pro-common sense. Tony said it took weeks to convince him that this was a good thing. What information changed his mind and how could he change his mind without the answers to the most basic questions?

I initially had concerns about the increase in rear end collisions. I just had to be sure that the red light camera for one of my wards was correct. Please find below information I posted on another thread regarding my decision:

Increase In Rear End Collisions

Yes, it has been documented that initially, rear end collisions typically increase but these type of accidents are usually not as severe as the T-bone type and over time they level off.

In December 2003, the Ministry of Transportation published a Final Technical Report on the Evaluation of the Red Light Camera Enforcement Pilot Project in Ontario. This report presented an analysis and evaluation of the results of the initial 2 year RLC Pilot Project of the 6 participating municipalities in Ontario, these being; The Cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and the Regional Municipalities of Halton, Peel and Waterloo.

Two treatments were implemented during the pilot project, namely:
•Automated enforcement using RLC's (68 locations) and
•Stepped-up police enforcement (27 locations)


The purpose of the study was to determine the combined impacts on safety of RLC's and stepped-up police enforcement across the 6 municipalities. A before and after evaluation study to assess the combined effect of the two red light running treatments (camera and police enforcement) for intersections with a high incidence of red light running related collisions and a cost benefit analysis of both treatments was conducted.

Very briefly the key findings of the results of the pilot project in Ontario were as follows::
•The red light running treatments contributed to a 25.3 % decrease in fatal and injury angle collisions and a 17.9 % decrease in property damage only angle collisions
•The red light running treatments contributed to a 4.9 % increase in fatal and injury rear-end collisions and 49.9 % in property damage only rear-end collisions.

The report concluded that based on the results presented, the pilot program was an effective tool in reducing fatal and injury collisions, thereby preventing injuries and saving lives. In terms of benefit-to-cost ration, it was shown to be economically viable, given that the social cost of collisions avoided exceeds the amount invested in the treatments at the evaluations study sites.

The report also look at similar studies in North America and worldwide revealing a consistent overall tread towards reduction in fatal and injury collisions. Some of the key studies cited in NCHRP Synthesis 310 are:
•Baltimore County, Maryland - 51 % reduction in injury collisions
•Sacramento, California - 27 % reduction in injury collisions
•San Diego, California - no significant change in injury collisions
•Fort Collins California - no significant change in injury collisions
•Oxnard County - 29 % reduction in injury collisions
•Mesa, Arizona - 5 % reduction in injury collisions
•San Francisco - 9 % reduction in injury collisions
•Glasgow, Scotland - 20 - 52 % reduction in injury collisions
•Australia - 28 -33 % reduction in injury collisions

The Red Light Camera program is used by Halton as a safety initiative to improve roadway safety. The police do not have the resources to be everywhere and red light running enforcement often requires more than one officer at each intersection. A camera operates 24/7 and is much more effective and efficient. Thanks everyone for reading this important post. Please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great day everybody.


Thank You,
Tony

Tony Lambert
Town & Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 and 8
http://www.tony-lambert.ca

The points raised are answered in the first post on another thread, here it is for everyone's convenience:


On July 11, 2012 Regional Council approved a staff recommendation to install 5 red light cameras throughout Halton Region at intersections that have experienced serious and numerous accidents. Please find below a link to the Planning and Public Works report PW-41-12 from July 4, 2012 that discusses the red light camera program coming this Spring.


http://sirepub.halton.ca/pubmtgframe.as ... ype=AGENDA

One red light camera has been approved for the Trafalgar and Derry intersection. It will be installed this Spring 2013 (sometime after March 1st as the region is currently working out the details with the contractor). Vehicles (not motorists) that are photographed advancing through the red light will result in a ticket being sent to the person who the vehicle is registered under. A ticket for $325 will be sent in the mail, with an opportunity to contest the fine in court. Demerit points will not be deducted simillar to parking tickets that also do not result in demerit points.

Similarly York Regional Council yesterday approved the installation of red light cameras at 20 intersections in cities such as Markham and Vaughn. Here is a link to an article that discusses York Region's reasons to conduct a pilot program of red light cameras:

http://www.wheels.ca/news/york-region-i ... t-cameras/

The reason the red light camera is coming to Milton is because they reduce collisions and improve safety. To be honest with you, I had to be convinced. After speaking with staff and other regional councillors regarding the clear benefits of red light cameras, I now believe they are definitely worth trying.


Halton Region has a Red Light Camera Web Site I recommend everybody check out because there is some very useful information on it. There's even a survey of Halton residents that shows support for the program. Also, there are numerous studies in North America and in Europe and Australia showing the benefits to Municipalities that have implemented Red Light Camera programs within their communities.

I have also included the link to the Red Light Camera Web Site below for your information.

http://www.halton.ca/living_in_halton/r ... a_program/

Red Light Camera programs are in place in countries world wide such as Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and of course Canada and the USA. I have noted some study findings from some of these countries relative to the reduction in injury collisions below.

The key benefits of a Red Light Camera program to a municipality are as follows:
•Almost all of the Red Light Camera studies completed to date have proven that automated enforcement using cameras is effective in reducing the incidence of red light running and the number of red light running accidents, more specifically with respect to the more serious injury type accident commonly referred to as a "right angle" or "T-bone" accident.
•A Red Light Camera is in operation 24/7 - The only other way to enforce red light running is through police enforcement and police can't be every where at once. Typically police will be stationed at a location for only 2-3 hrs at one time, resources permitting. Municipalities simply do not have the resources to allow police to patrol intersections as often as would be needed to make enforcement an effective tool in order to change driver behavior to deter red light running to the same level that a municipal-wide Red Light Camera program can achieve.
•A Red Light Camera program has shown to have a Halo effect. Over time and through ongoing educational campaigns and media coverage, driver behavior will change at non-red light camera sites as well.

The number one criticism of the Red Light Camera program is that it is a money grab, however, in Ontario it was introduced as a Safety Initiative. The objective is to deter motorists from running red lights, reducing right angle collisions, personal injuries and making our intersections and roadways safer. Signs and public campaigns warn drivers that photo enforcement is in place so there is no intent of deceit to this program.

Revenue is generated from fines paid by motorists who continue to disobey red lights, but this is a fundamental component of all traffic enforcement programs in general. In Halton, the revenues do not go back to specifically support the Red Light Camera program.

Attached is the link to report PW 41-12, "Red Light Camera Enforcement Program" that was approved by Regional Council on July 11, 2012

http://sirepub.halton.ca/councildocs/pm ... 150170.pdf


As discussed studies in other jurisdictions such as, Australia, Europe and the US show that RLC's are very effective in reducing serious right angle or T-Bone type accidents that are most commonly associated with serious personal injury or fatalities.

Increase In Rear End Collisions

Yes, it has been documented that initially, rear end collisions typically increase but these type of accidents are usually not as severe as the T-bone type and over time they level off.

In December 2003, the Ministry of Transportation published a Final Technical Report on the Evaluation of the Red Light Camera Enforcement Pilot Project in Ontario. This report presented an analysis and evaluation of the results of the initial 2 year RLC Pilot Project of the 6 participating municipalities in Ontario, these being; The Cities of Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa and the Regional Municipalities of Halton, Peel and Waterloo.

Two treatments were implemented during the pilot project, namely:
•Automated enforcement using RLC's (68 locations) and
•Stepped-up police enforcement (27 locations)


The purpose of the study was to determine the combined impacts on safety of RLC's and stepped-up police enforcement across the 6 municipalities. A before and after evaluation study to assess the combined effect of the two red light running treatments (camera and police enforcement) for intersections with a high incidence of red light running related collisions and a cost benefit analysis of both treatments was conducted.

Very briefly the key findings of the results of the pilot project in Ontario were as follows::
•The red light running treatments contributed to a 25.3 % decrease in fatal and injury angle collisions and a 17.9 % decrease in property damage only angle collisions
•The red light running treatments contributed to a 4.9 % increase in fatal and injury rear-end collisions and 49.9 % in property damage only rear-end collisions.

The report concluded that based on the results presented, the pilot program was an effective tool in reducing fatal and injury collisions, thereby preventing injuries and saving lives. In terms of benefit-to-cost ration, it was shown to be economically viable, given that the social cost of collisions avoided exceeds the amount invested in the treatments at the evaluations study sites.

The report also look at similar studies in North America and worldwide revealing a consistent overall tread towards reduction in fatal and injury collisions. Some of the key studies cited in NCHRP Synthesis 310 are:
•Baltimore County, Maryland - 51 % reduction in injury collisions
•Sacramento, California - 27 % reduction in injury collisions
•San Diego, California - no significant change in injury collisions
•Fort Collins California - no significant change in injury collisions
•Oxnard County - 29 % reduction in injury collisions
•Mesa, Arizona - 5 % reduction in injury collisions
•San Francisco - 9 % reduction in injury collisions
•Glasgow, Scotland - 20 - 52 % reduction in injury collisions
•Australia - 28 -33 % reduction in injury collisions

The Red Light Camera program is used by Halton as a safety initiative to improve roadway safety. The police do not have the resources to be everywhere and red light running enforcement often requires more than one officer at each intersection. A camera operates 24/7 and is much more effective and efficient. Thanks everyone for reading this incredibly long but important post. Please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great weekend everybody.


Kindest Regards,
Tony

Tony Lambert
Town & Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 and 8
http://www.tony-lambert.ca

Tony, repeating the same garbage doesn't make it any more worthwhile. You have failed to ascertain the number of accidents that happen at the Derry/Trafalgar intersection. It could be 0 or 1.

Any variations on a small sample could be simple statistical aberrations as noted by the study that Martin Capper dug up here:

http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nc ... yn_310.pdf

Interestingly, the study also noted that most local studies had methodology flaws among other items and were not wholly reliable.

Okay, quite right, the proposed RLC is to be at a different intersection. But when that collision comes up in this thread, I think it still illustrates the point i'm trying to make, which is a general one. When I say generally, I mean about RLCs generally, not just the single one we are talking about for one intersection in Milton.

I don't write off question-askers as nay-sayers, I think there are probably plenty of good reasons to oppose or question RLCs. It just seems that these threads spend more time talking about what specific statistic finally pushed one of our councillors onto the pro-RLC side, than other more interesting questions about RLCs. But that's just me, and everyone finds different aspects of all this interesting, so that's fine.

Tony,

I’m going to blow your mind. Sit down.

Lets take your research and accept it blindly as you have. Cameras reduce fatalities by 50%. Fact.

I have an idea that will reduce them by…wait for it…100%!!! KaBoom!

They’re called roundabouts, and it’s IMPOSSIBLE to run a light in a roundabout. Zero T-Bones. Zero tickets. Zero possibility of abusing cameras as a cash grab. Zero pissed off citizens.

Trafalgar and Derry would need a high capacity design, but is perfectly suited for this.

I look forward to you tabling a motion to make this upgrade – as road safety is your number one concern, and this has demonstrable results.

I've been going through that intersection for the past 10 years. I'd say I've seen 6 or 7 accidents, or remnants of accidents at Derry/Trafalgar. But I'd say Trafalgar/Britannnia is FAR worse. Seems like there is a MAJOR accident there at least once a month.

Hmm... by definition, isn't it always the fault of the person making a left into oncoming traffic?

If I push the envelope on a yellow light that turns red... In this scenario, I still get though safely, as long as someone does not turn in front of me, right? That's the very definition of the T-Bone, or as I prefer to call it... the KO-KO.

Maybe we can spend $250K educating people to make sure they are not turning into oncoming traffic that is not stopping.


KO-KO! KO-KO! KO-KO!

_________________

In your scenario the car entering the intersection on yellow could get the careless driving ticket
Turning left is not always the one in error

Only thing the camera would prove in this situation is basics such as speed, weather conditions, and whether the car entering a yellow really had to (it's funny how everyone running a yellow is only doing it to prevent being rear ended by a car that may or may not even be there)

You are not supposed to enter intersection on yellow unless stopping would be unsafe (ice, car behind you etc)

I think you're giving too much credit to these cameras. I imagine they take still photography, and not mjpeg or anything fancy.

With that premise, let's say you've been sitting in the intersection for 10 seconds and then the light turns yellow. Some douche runs the yellow on the oncoming lane and leaves you stranded as the intersection becomes red, you make a mad dash but get photographed.

Now what?

you dont get a ticket if it turns red and youre in the intersection. only if you enter the intersection and the light is already red.

Camera is either video or constantly snapping
I had a red light cam ticket from Brampton & they send multiple pics (including showing one with car outside intersection while light was red) + detailed information on driving conditions