15°c Overcast
12°c Rain
Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION
Report urges city to spend $20 million on photo radar
(WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)
Winnipeg's photo-radar program will be up for debate after a new report recommends the city spend $20 million for a contractor to operate the program for another seven years.
An administrative report, released this morning, recommends the city award the contract for its photo-radar program to ACS Public Sector Solutions between 2013 and 2020. The city wants the contractor to switch from film cameras to digital, which will provide clearer photographs and more efficient processing of red-light tickets.
Council's protection and community services committee will review the recommendation at a meeting next week.
Protection and community services chairman Coun. Scott Fielding (St. James) said he thinks Winnipeg should discontinue the photo-radar program and devote more officers to traffic enforcement instead.
Winnipeg police reviewed the impact of increasing the number of full-time officers dedicated to traffic enforcement from 10 to 67 to maintain day and evening coverage in all districts. Their report said the increasing cost of salaries and court costs over the time period reduce the net revenues.
Fielding said the program should focus on increasing public safety, not revenue. He said having more officers conduct traditional traffic enforcement will improve road safety and also give police an ability to catch other types of criminal offences - such as robberies - while they're on the street doing traffic stops.
"You're going to have that added benefit," he said. "I think it's a better type of policing."
Coun. Ross Eadie (Mynarski) said he's disappointed the administrative report does not recommend Winnipeg install more photo-radar cameras. He said the cameras have improved safety at city intersections and helped change driver behaviour.
Last year, a study the city commissioned found the number of collisions at red-light-camera intersections dropped 46 per cent after the devices were installed. Researchers found the cameras reduced the number of T-bone crashes, which experts say are the accidents most likely to cause severe injuries or fatalities.
However, the same study found rear-end collisions increased 15 per cent at red-light camera intersections, from 27 to 28 per month to 32 to 34 per month.
"Ultimately, these things have made the intersections safer," Eadie said.
More Local
- Back to Top
- Return to Local
More Local
(1 of 18 articles for today)
Fire damages St. Vital home
11:13 AM 0A home in St. Vital sustained $40,000 in damage after a fire Sunday.
Five fire units responded to a basement fire ...
Poll
Most Popular Local
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Police identify slaying victims
- Second man charged in 2012 slaying
- North End proud
- Head-on collision kills pickup driver
- Accused in alleged smartphone scam charged
- Two charged in golf course burglary
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- Province announces service for Elijah Harper
- Police make grow-op bust
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Winning 6/49 ticket purchased in Winnipeg
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- 'Responsible Winnipeg' ads appear on sign run by mayor-owned Goldeyes' baseball park
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Charleswood deaths being investigated as domestic incident
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Co-worker 'sick' today? Maybe it's the $17M flu
- '2 minutes after I read the winning numbers, I retired': Winnipeg lotto winner
- Parents, community relieved and elated as missing boy found safe
- No threat from bag found at Winnipeg Square
- Man missing since 2009 found safe
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- North End proud
- Fishing for fashion
- Province announces service for Elijah Harper
- Man charged, victims identified in double homicide
- Police make grow-op bust
- Leaving a gang isn't easy — Sidney Letandre, now a paraplegic, knows it all too well
- Take me off your guest list, Harper Blog of the Week: North End MC
- Actor works to disable bullying
- Who says house calls are a thing of the past?
- Rejected by U of M, former Winnipegger became rocket scientist
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Ochre Beach residents are 'thankful everybody got out'
- Aboriginal leader Elijah Harper dies
- Woman killed in head-on crash in southwestern Manitoba
- Sex charges for ex-club boss
- Giving your money, and expertise, to charity
- WestJet to add Brandon
- Hundreds pitch in to dig out houses damaged, destroyed by Ochre Beach ice floe
- A child-custody catastrophe
- Mental-health patients get own ER
- Black market in moose thrives
- An uncommon phenomenon
- Steen invests $1M in family entertainment centre
- Earls on Main going, but new one coming
- Province introduces changes to rules governing landlords, renters
- Crushing blow for amateur sport
- Boost same-sex curricula: union
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.