ATS taps out and cancels contract with Jefferson County! This is indeed a victory and we should do everything we can to encourage the public officials that supported this outcome as well as encourage other public officials around the state who are attempting to achieve the same results.

The Press Release below is a response to the letter canceling the contract between ATS and Jefferson County, Missouri. The letter can be viewed and downloaded from WrongOnRed here.

WrongOnRed.com’s Response to ATS Letter dated February 8, 2011 – Cancellation of Contract with Jefferson County.

For Immediate release
Media Contact: Matthew Hay- 314-322-4229

WrongOnRed.com believes it is important that the comments and accusations made in the letter from ATS to Jefferson County be addressed. ATS Vice-President Jason Norton makes reference to four reasons why ATS wishes to cancel the contract with Jefferson County. Unfortunately, only one of those reasons (asking ATS to stop work on the contract) is true. Two of the reasons listed are actions of the Council that are still in process. The baseless allegation that is mentioned as the fourth and final reason is based on an OP-ED Story in a local newspaper with a proven track record of media bias. WrongOnRed.com understands why ATS does not want the efficacy of their systems, or their questionable business practices being publicly showcased under oath.

Mr. Norton claims in his letter that "It is sadly ironic that Jefferson County, with its history of traffic deaths, severe injuries and crashes including Highway 21's "Blood Alley," would ignore the proven success of red light safety cameras as part of its total traffic safety enforcement effort." This statement could not be further from the truth. There is a large body of evidence that shows that red light camera programs are not the best method in reducing the risk of crashes at dangerous intersections. Various studies have shown that simply extending the length of yellow light times, making a full-red stop for one second, or redesign of the intersections have greatly reduced accidents when implemented. Furthermore, Jefferson County has a history of Automated Camera Enforcement with the City of Arnold.

In the five years that Arnold has utilized ATS with their camera program, the number of accidents has gone up at three of the four intersections with cameras installed. At one intersection in particular, Richardson Road and Vogel Road, accidents have increased by 370% based on a recent study by the Missouri Department of Transportation. And, according to statistics released by the City of Arnold, the number of violations has increased from 4,938 in 2006 to 7,999 in 2010. I’m not sure if this is the definition of “proven success” that Mr. Norton was alluding to in the above statement. To us, it is a testament to the utter failure of red light cameras in regards to safety when implemented in Jefferson County.

While I can’t speak for the County Council, it is our understanding that the upcoming three Traffic Code Hearings were to be the most open and honest discussion regarding these cameras that has ever occurred in the St. Louis Area. There is a wealth of knowledge that we, and other members of the public, have acquired about these systems. The positives and negatives of these camera systems need to be examined in a public forum. However, it appears that when Mr. Norton and ATS are placed in a position of defending their statements regarding “safety” in a truly open and public forum, they have decided to cut their losses and run. We would like to encourage the residents of Jefferson County to still attend one of the three Traffic Code Hearings on February 14th, February 28th and March 14th to express their knowledge and thoughts regarding these camera systems, in the event that the issue is considered in the future.