Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

San Diego's great red light camera rebellion

August story on secretive Sanders bid solicitation preceded today's dumping of red light cameras by new mayor

Back on August 22, we reported here on a plan by Republican then-mayor Jerry Sanders to extend the city's controversial red light camera program.

There was no notice to the public, other than a request for proposal quietly posted by the Sanders crew on the city's procurement website:

"Currently there are fifteen intersections equipped with an automated red light photo system and photograph over 4,000 potential violation events each month," according to the document.

"Based upon the analyzed benefits of the current [red light camera] program, the City has determined that the program be continued, [and the] City desires to operate [the red light cameras] at a minimum of 15 sites."

According to yesterday's request for proposal document--which bears a closing deadline of September 20, though such dates are often moved back--the new program is anticipated to be a “'turnkey' operation, whereby the Proposer shall provide all necessary equipment and associated software with the [red light camera] program, all staff necessary to install, operate, and maintain the program as well as providing necessary services to the City.

Then in September, the Sanders administration quietly amended the plan to include the possibility of more cameras.

In response to the question, "Does the City anticipate any new locations that will be added to the project?" the document says, "The City is currently reviewing locations that will benefit from use of this technology.

“It should be anticipated that some of the existing photo enforced locations will continue to use this technology and some new locations will be selected."

The items here triggered an outpouring of comments, most of them opposing the automated traffic ticketing.

After U-T San Diego picked up on the story on September 7, Sanders backed away from the plan and mayoral campaign rivals Bob Filner and Carl DeMaio both expressed opposition to it.

Today, Democratic mayor Bob Filner finally made it official: he is turning off the cameras for good:

"These cameras are history on San Diego streets."

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

Reader 1st place writing contest winner gets kudos

2nd place winner not so much
Next Article

Didja know I did the first American feature on Jimi Hendrix?

Richard Meltzer goes through the Germs, Blue Oyster Cult, Ray Charles, Elvis, Lavender Hill Mob

Back on August 22, we reported here on a plan by Republican then-mayor Jerry Sanders to extend the city's controversial red light camera program.

There was no notice to the public, other than a request for proposal quietly posted by the Sanders crew on the city's procurement website:

"Currently there are fifteen intersections equipped with an automated red light photo system and photograph over 4,000 potential violation events each month," according to the document.

"Based upon the analyzed benefits of the current [red light camera] program, the City has determined that the program be continued, [and the] City desires to operate [the red light cameras] at a minimum of 15 sites."

According to yesterday's request for proposal document--which bears a closing deadline of September 20, though such dates are often moved back--the new program is anticipated to be a “'turnkey' operation, whereby the Proposer shall provide all necessary equipment and associated software with the [red light camera] program, all staff necessary to install, operate, and maintain the program as well as providing necessary services to the City.

Then in September, the Sanders administration quietly amended the plan to include the possibility of more cameras.

In response to the question, "Does the City anticipate any new locations that will be added to the project?" the document says, "The City is currently reviewing locations that will benefit from use of this technology.

“It should be anticipated that some of the existing photo enforced locations will continue to use this technology and some new locations will be selected."

The items here triggered an outpouring of comments, most of them opposing the automated traffic ticketing.

After U-T San Diego picked up on the story on September 7, Sanders backed away from the plan and mayoral campaign rivals Bob Filner and Carl DeMaio both expressed opposition to it.

Today, Democratic mayor Bob Filner finally made it official: he is turning off the cameras for good:

"These cameras are history on San Diego streets."

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.