Council member poll

[Rick Rowlands]

As I said earlier "speeding" or "not speeding" can be changed at a moment's notice by the stroke of a pen. Running red lights present a definite safety problem in Youngstown.  I am sorry that you don't see that.  You are wasting your time with traffic cameras.  Do you not remember Girard??? 

[john r. swierz]

  Woozle, The city must always work to do better in all departments. I for one call the street dept.
  on a regular basis,having stated that there are many factors that slow up the pothole patching process
  Some cities work better at getting the job done quicker and better but they may be staffed better also.
  I am sorry that you have had all that damage on your car. I will never condone speeding so sorry.
  Before you put it on UTUBE please call your councilmember.

[Elmo-Ytown]

Another note on camera cars, the idea that they are out there slows people down everywhere, because every vehicle on the side of the road is suspect, and so if you are speeding, you slow down everytime you come up to a vehicle on the shoulder.

[woozle]

Mr Swierz,
   I think the public opinion would be more in your favor if the city would keep up with all the Holes in the street.. I have replaced numerous balljoints tierod ends, and even shocks struts and mounts due to the poor road conditions in the City.. My car has less than 45,000 miles and I have had to replace everything.. And I would like you to check into how the Youngstown water dept finishes their repairs on the city streets.. It is not done in the correct manner.. the blacktop is just thrown down and ran over with a dump truck.. I keep a video camera in my car, now the next time I see them doing it I'll get a video a post it on youtube..  So if I'm doing 45 mph down Market street or South ave, With the flow of traffic I'm just trying to get over the Potholes instead of getting stuck in them..

[john r. swierz]

      All residential streets should be posted at 25mph
      Secondary can be 25 to 35mph
      Mains can be 35 to 45 mph
      School zones are 20mph

     This is done thru the city engineers office. Council can pass it thru ordinance, but they rarely
     dictate a speed change in the wards.  The police will set the perimeters of speed for the cameras.
     Example: they will ticket drivers going 6 mph over the speed limit.  I believe that we will be using
     stationary cameras.
       

[Rick Rowlands]

Well if you are going to ambush drivers and cause them unnecessary greif, the least you can do is review the speed limits for every road in the City and reset the speed limits to something that is realistic.    Who sets the speed limits anyways, and who says that those speed limits should not be questioned?  Do traffic studies and determine what the speed that the majority of vehicles are traveling at, then set the limit at that speed.  Here in Hubbard West Liberty Street is 25 MPH, but everyone, including the Police, drive at around 35 mph.  So the optimum speed for that road is 35 mph and the limit should be raised 10 MPH.  It is the purpose of speed laws to promote a steady flow of traffic as much as it is to provide for safety.  Your speed cameras turn regular, law abiding citizens into criminals just because they drive with the flow of traffic at a speed that is comfortable for the road and conditions.

I might support these cameras if the speed limits that they were enforcing were based upon the needs of the driving public, not the whims of some bureaucrat or councilman that has no experience or expertise in studying traffic patterns. We need engineers determining speed limits, not politicians.

[john r. swierz]

   This is one of the options that YPD will have , a car or van

[Elmo-Ytown]

In Europe they have "camera cars", which are unmarked. They park on the side of the road and snap your picture if you're speeding. People call it getting "flashed", because you don't know you've been caught until you see the flash of the camera. These are a way of having a speed deterrent that people can't avoid, as they don't know where and when it will be.

[sfc_oliver]

I would be against this if there were no legal recourse to appeal the fine. However I'm certain that there is or would be. Maybe. I hope.

[woozle]

In other words it's just a cash machine for some company not even in Youngstown??? 

[Why?Town]

The problem is usually that these cameras are set up by "for profit" businesses and any violations are not considered "criminal", they just require payment of a fine. This eliminates innocent until proven guilty and being able to face your accuser in court and probably other rights I'm not even aware of.

[sfc_oliver]

I see nothing wrong with cameras in public areas. Even speeding cameras. Unless you can prove the device faulty, too bad if you get caught speeding.

[woozle]

It looks like I will be putting photo blocker on my plate.. Even if they sent me a ticket, I'll tie it up in court forever.. without someone to see the violation in person, there is no way to convict.. Not that I'm condoning speeding I just don't see the cameras being effective.. How would a jury rule on a case if it went that far?? Some of you just don't see the writing on the wall here, They are taking away our rights to live free!!! Where is this going to end?? Have we turned in to a Communist nation?? Were not there yet but I see it coming..

Just My Bellybutton Opinion..

[AllanY2525]

I will also cast my "yea" vote for traffic cameras around
schools - there is absolutely no excuse for speeding in
a school zone where children could be hurt or killed as a result.

As for the rest of the city, there are pro's and con's.  My experience with
speed trap cameras here in Maryland is that once the word is out about
the camera's location, peope either bypass it by taking an alternate route,
or they slow down just until they leave the camera's field of view - then
they go right back to driving above the speed limit.

From a financial point of view, it makes good sense:  The city doesn't have
to pay automated devices to be ever-vigilant and catch the offenders, which
means that the few cops that the city does have would be freed up to attend
to other, more urgent matters.

The other obvious advantage is the revenues that would be generated by
these cameras - revenues that are sorely needed by the city to get some red
ink off the books downtown.

There was an incident here in my local area a few years ago, where someone
covered up their license plate with a sign that said "F%#K YOU!" and deliberately
got their picture taken by a speed camera...I guess they were trying to send a
message....LOL

[Elmo-Ytown]

I'm for more and better stoplights at Midlothian and Sheridan, I've seen some terrible accidents there.