Marysville red-light program expands

Marysville is set to expand its red light camera program and add a new component: collision avoidance sensors.

The sensors, say police, will momentarily stall other traffic entering an intersection when a red light violation is predicted.

City Council members voted unanimously Tuesday night to add five years to the city's contract with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. of Arizona, when the original contract expires in May 2010.

The company maintains four cameras in Marysville, and according to the amended contract, will expand the program to include three additional cameras and, eventually, the sensors.

Police Capt. Mike Wilson said the move will help save his department both time and money, and will ultimately save lives.

"I think you're going to see a significant decrease in accident numbers," he said.

Cost for each collision avoidance device is $250. Currently, Caltrans controls the timing for all but one of the intersections where Marysville has Redflex cameras, and the agency has not yet approved the change at its intersections.

The initial cost of maintaining Redflex cameras is $6,000 per camera per month, according to Sgt. John Osbourn.

Maintaining the existing cameras has decreased to $5,700 per camera, and the decrease will defray costs for the new technology, he said.

Redflex cameras are stationed at 10th and G streets in both directions, as well as at Third and F streets, and Third and E streets.

The intersection at Third and F streets is likely to receive the first of the collision avoidance sensors, Wilson said, since changes to the timing of its traffic lights falls under the city's authority.

When a car approaches the intersection at a speed too high to stop for a red light, the sensor would cause all other traffic at the intersection to hold in a red light phase until the offending driver has passed through, Osbourn explained.

Under consideration for new cameras are 12th and B streets (southbound), Ninth and E streets (northbound), and Ninth and B streets (eastbound).

With the Redflex system, Marysville brings in about $700,000 annually from the $365 in fines charged to a red light violator.

The cost of maintaining the cameras averages about $300,000 per year, said Administrative Services Manager Dixon Coulter.

Redflex cameras have dramatically reduced the numbers of accidents at intersections where they are used, according to Wilson. This, in turn, allows the department, which has been reduced from 24 to 18 officers since the initial cameras were installed, to keep police from spending too much time on traffic-related issues.

Marysville resident Ed Fleming said he's a fan of the Redflex cameras.

He had a near-fatal encounter with a vehicle once at Ninth and D streets.

"I stepped off the curb and some animal nearly ran me down," he said of the driver who was then caught.

"I think this is a really great program," he said.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Nancy Pasternack at 749-4712 or npasternack@appealdemocrat.com.