OrlandoSentinel.com

Our position: At the very least, Orange should continue red-light cameras for warnings

Orange County leaders don't have to look far to see the effectiveness of cameras to identify red-light runners.

At just three county intersections, cameras caught 1,944 red-light runners in two months, between late February and late April.

Offenders were issued only warnings because the county remains reluctant to issue code citations -- similar to getting a parking ticket -- that many communities have used successfully. Those communities are being refreshingly proactive, responding to the fact that legislators have refused to pass a law that would set uniform standards.

The county will continue to issue warnings until August, when the pilot project expires. All it cost was $146,000. But the eight cameras and the three intersections will go dark unless the county continues to pay for them.

It's critical that Mayor Rich Crotty and the commissioners find that money. Even without issuing tickets -- the preferred way to go -- the warnings at the very least should deter bad drivers from causing havoc on the roads.

So where does the money come from? Well, the budget for the county's OrangeTV operation is a whopping $1.5 million. That includes a staff of 12 full-time employees and 22 freelancers. There's a lot of gravy there -- over and above the money it would cost to simply air all the government meetings.

Orange County officials have been disappointingly slow to respond to the leadership that other communities are showing on this issue. Just look a few blocks down the road. Apopka's red-light program is up and running. Orlando's will be up soon.

Elsewhere, Palm Beach County commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on whether to use traffic cameras to fine red-light runners.

But in Orange, only Commissioner Linda Stewart has been a strong advocate. She needs help.

Sheriff Kevin Beary has been pushing hard with legislators in Tallahassee. He now needs to turn up the volume locally. He's got the stats to make his case.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed17108may17,0,1141854,print.story 5/19/2008