Some Davenport city officials want to keep traffic cams despite the Iowa Senate's desire to eliminate traffic cameras state wide. This according to an article in The Quad City Times. 8th ward alderman Mike Mason and City Administrator Corri Spiegel tell The Quad City Times cameras are a great public safety tool. Spiegel goes on to defend the program in the Times article:

We believe our process, both for location and function of the cameras, and review of the citations is founded in best practices. Removal of the cameras would cause significant strain on police resources. That said, the city does welcome a program based on regulation and partnership with the State of Iowa.

I can't say for sure how effective the traffic cameras are, but they do slow me down on Brady Street. They actually trained me to not go over 35 on that stretch of road. So begrudgingly, I'll admit in my experience they work. They influence my speed. However, they don't stop the many drivers who are going over 35 and pass me. Some nights I'm not keeping up with the flow of traffic. That could be dangerous, and it might mean the cameras aren't as effective as the City makes them out to be.

Kyle Gripp, alderman at large, is also a big defender of Davenport's use of traffic cameras. He tells the Quad City Times:

We’ve limited the number we have, we track the data to ensure safety,” he said. “We’ve set the threshold for a ticket fairly high, and made the fine reasonable. Other cities have not done that and quite frankly, that is why the state legislature has acted on this. I believe that cities should maintain the right to use them and would welcome oversight from IDOT to ensure all Iowa cities are using traffic cameras in a responsible and effective manner; like Davenport has.

Unless the Iowa legislature decides to ban the cameras outright, you better smile the next time you run the red light at Brady and Kimberly. You're getting a ticket! Our elected officials seem to love the traffic cameras because of the public safety benefit. They also probably love the revenue, they just can't tell us that because it makes us mad!

 

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