Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Information regarding photo enforcement of traffic laws - Vote NO on Issue 35

The following information clarifies the City of Cleveland's use of photo traffic enforcement technology.

Based on the facts of the program reducing collisions and increasing safety, I urge voters to VOTE NO on Issue 35 on Tuesday, November 4th.


If there are any questions or you or your organization would like to sign on as supporters for defeating Issue 35 please feel free to contact me at brianjcummins@clevelandcitycouncil.org.

Save a Life, Vote No on Issue 35
See below the fact sheet for additional information.

Additional information:

In 2013 the City renewed its Automated Photo Enforcement Contract with Xerox.  This renewal allowed the City to place additional photo enforced cameras at those previously identified intersections from the NOACA report as well as intersections identified from the City’s Computer Aided Dispatch Calls for Accidents report, Citizens and Council members.  A 16-hour video analysis was completed at each site before any photo enforced equipment was installed.


Regarding the timing of Yellow traffic signal lights
As of 2011 (and with a compliance deadline of 2014), states are required to adopt the National Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). These guidelines address how yellow light timing durations are set, which may help resolve some of the arguments by motorists claiming they were cited for going through intersections with unreasonably quick yellow lights.  Per federal regulations, tickets are issued only if the driver enters the intersection once the light has turned red.

In Cleveland, following national best practices, the yellow traffic light phase has been extended to all intersections with photo enforcement equipment.  The yellow time’s for all of the city of Cleveland's red light photo enforcement cameras are generally around 4 – 4.3 seconds.


Total citations issued and revenue received for the photo enforcement program.  Note that as indicated in FACT 2.  The number of collisions and tickets issued has declined since the program was initiated.




Elaborating on -  1. FACT: The program places a priority on high crash intersections and major arterial streets and has proven to reduce collisions and improve safety. 80% percent of Cleveland’s traffic safety cameras are in use at high crash intersections or on major arterial corridors that have been identified to be high speed and crash areas. REF: 2007 and 2009 Crash Reports from The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency

The following streets are the main corridors where photo enforcement cameras are being utilized:
  1. Carnegie Avenue
  2. Cedar Avenue
  3. Chester Avenue
  4. Clark Avenue
  5. East 105th 
  6. East 55th Street
  7. Euclid Avenue
  8. Harvard Avenue
  9. Lee Road
  10. Martin Luther King
  11. Pearl Road
  12. Shaker Boulevard
  13. St. Clair Avenue
  14. West 65th Street
  15. West Boulevard
  16. Woodland Avenue
Pertaining to - 11.  FACT: The photo enforcement program is carried out in a fair, public and transparent manner to serve as a strong deterrent to violating traffic laws.

The City of Cleveland puts out public notices of where portable photo enforcement units are being deployed.  Public notices are sent out through press releases and posted on the City's blog - http://clecityhall.com.  Here are the current locations of the portable photo enforcement cameras.  Area block clubs, civic groups, and Council members can request locations to be covered by calling the City's Traffic Enforcement Division at 216-664.

All camera locations, (fixed and mobile) are listed and mapped at this link.

PCU (Portable Camera Unit) Locations 10/20/2014 – 11/07/2014.  The following will be active locations for the city’s Portable Camera Units (PCUs) beginning Monday, October 20, 2014. Legislation passed in May, 2013  increased the number of fixed camera sites from 24 to 49 and increased portable sites from 6 to 15. These locations will be active from October 20 to November 7, 2014.                                                                                                                             
  1. 11327 Martin Luther King Drive
  2. 11400 Block Edgewater Drive
  3. 2300 Block of St. Clair Avenue
  4. 1500 Block of West 25th Street
  5. 4300 Block of Payne Avenue
  6. 2100 Block of Clark Avenue
  7. 15900 Lorain Avenue
  8. 6411 St. Clair Avenue
  9. 7600 Clark Avenue
  10. St. Clair Avenue and Lancelot Avenue
  11. East 177 Block of Villaview Road
  12. 2600 Block of North Moreland Boulevard
  13. West 104th Street & Madison Avenue
  14. 4900 Block of Rocky River Drive
  15. 6600 Fleet Avenue

References:

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, February 1, 2011.

Q & A - Red light running- Camera enforcement works to curb this dangerous behavior.
March 2014, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Automated Enforcement Myths
Michele Fields, J.D., Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, March 2001

States using red light and speed cameras
Red light running, Camera enforcement works to curb this dangerous behavior.
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Automated enforcement, October 2014

Speeding and Red Light Camera Tickets
FindLaw

Excerpt - 

Federal Law & Regulation

"...In a 2008 appeal to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, car owners in Chicago claimed the city's red light camera system violated the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment. They received a $90 citation in the mail for running a red light (someone else had been driving their car at the time).

The federal judges ruled against the appellants, stating the following in their opinion:

"No one has a fundamental right to run a red light or avoid being seen by a camera on a public street."

Therefore, federal courts have affirmed the right of municipalities to use speeding and red light cameras. Additionally, lawsuits challenging the use of private companies to operate red light cameras have been dismissed or defeated..."

Institute responds to criticism of red light camera research
Status Report, Vol. 47, No. 3 | April 12, 2012, ,

Excerpt - 

Red light running is a serious traffic safety problem that kills about 700 people and injures an additional 130,000 each year. Solid, published research by the Institute and other experts demonstrates that red light cameras save lives.



Monday, October 6, 2014

MetroHealth Public Meeting Sat. 10/11/14 - Transforming MetroHealth - Let your voice be hear | Hágase escuchar!



MetroHealth is planning a series of meetings to get community input and they hope you’ll join them for the first meeting:


WHEN: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Saturday, October 11th, 2014
WHERE:  The Family Ministry Center located at 3389 Fulton Road (at Trowbridge Ave).
WHO:  The whole family is invited.

Lunch will be served and fun childcare will be provided with games and crafts.

Please RSVP to 216-778-8118 or metromeeting@metrohealth.org
by Thursday, October 9.

MetroHealth needs your help. Share in the vision of transforming a hospital that will revitalize your neighborhood. MetroHealth wants to hear from you and your family. What opportunities for physical activity would you like to see on the hospital campus? What do you need so you and your family can be healthy?

What you have to say is important and it will impact their Transformation plans. It’s about more than just changing the way the hospital looks and how it delivers care. It’s about improving our local economy and making our community more vibrant.

_____________________


MetroHealth anunció el año pasado sus planes de transformar el campus principal mediante la construcción de un nuevo hospital y la demolición de los edificios antiguos que ya no cumplen con las necesidades actuales. Es un gran proyecto en el cual no podemos embarcarnos solos. 

Estamos planeando una serie de reuniones para conocer el sentir de la comunidad y esperamos que usted pueda participar en la primera reunión del sábado, 11 de octubre de 11 am a 1:00 pm, en el local del Family Ministry Center, ubicado en la 3389 Fulton Road cerca de Trowbridge. Toda su familia está invitada. Serviremos almuerzo y tendremos un lugar de juegos y actividades para los niños. Haga su reserva por teléfono llamando al 216-778-8118 o por email a metromeeting@metrohealth.org, no más tarde del jueves, 9 de octubre. 

Necesitamos su ayuda. Comparta la visión de transformar un hospital que revitalizará su vecindario. Queremos escuchar su opinión y la de su familia. ¿Qué tipos de recursos quisiera ver usted en el campus del hospital para llevar a cabo actividades físicas? ¿Qué cree que necesitan usted y su familia para vivir una vida más saludable? 

Su opinión es importante para nosotros y puede tener un impacto en nuestros planes de transformación. Esto va más allá de un simple cambio estético del hospital y la manera en que atiende a sus pacientes. Es acerca de mejorar nuestra economía local y crear una comunidad con más vitalidad.

_____________________

See more information regarding MetroHealth's Transformation Plan.

From MetroHealth -
  • Our Vision - What's possible, our vision for the W 25th Street Campus.
  • Your Input - Join Our Community, our goal is to engage our community so we can work together to transform MetroHealth's W 25th Street campus.
  • The Rational - Making the Case, why we can't live without MetroHealth (whitepaper).


MetroHealth’s Mission: Leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery and teamwork. 




CEOGC Job Leads 10/3/2014

The following job leads are a weekly service of the The Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland (CEOGC) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to serving the low-income people of Greater Cleveland and Cuyahoga County.
Additional information on employment can be obtained at the following link: