More Speed Cameras

[th3118]

Now on the west side 101.
Starts Oct.22.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... as-ON.html

[azminiman]

I saw a few of them yesterday,, I now have their locations saved in my radar detector

[danjmcs]

Yeah, they have had the vans in those areas lately testing, so I figured it was happening fairly soon.

[Istara]

we passed tons of them last night and 2 or 3 vans on the way up to the west side meet.. crazy! and despite passing all that, the ticket didn't happen until after we were almost back to tucson, issued by a real cop

[AZMini]

I saw a camera on US60 westbound near Val Vista I think. Not a van, but a fixed camera. Is that new?

[harpo]

Saw a mobile van this morning 6:30 am - Kryene and Grove Parkway on my way to FIR for AutoX.... going around a curve - posted at 40 mph.... (I usually take that curve at about 55)....but I SAW the van.... knew he was there - could not have been doing more than 42-43.... but saw the flash in my rear view.... Hopefully he was just getting set up and testing.......

Suzanne

[Gigi]

Just to let you know, DPS is exploring new technology where your radar detectors won't help you.

For the last couple of years they have been using mobile license plate readers (LPR) mounted to the front of patrol cars in the Casa Grande area. They automatically read the plate and then check the plate against a stolen vehicle database. A single patrol car ran 1.1 million plates in the last year. This project was initiated to catch stolen vehicles from Phoenix headed to Mexico.

How does this relate to photoradar? The europeans have been using LPRs for years for speed enforcement.

DPS is looking at installing them on the backside of bridges over each lane of traffic (so that you don't see them approaching the bridge). One will be placed at a strategic location, say Riggs Rd bridge on I10 just south of Firebird raceway. One or multiple other cameras will be placed at strategic points on your way to Tucson and just before entering Tucson.

The system will search the plate read against previous cameras and then determine your average speed over the total distance.....no radar.....no induction loops. This system becomes more effective for say a trip between Globe and Show Low where they could easily measure your time across the distance and compute your average speed. I know this as my husband works for DPS. There is no real way to defeat it.

In September, DPS lowered the "trigger" speed to 10mph. So you are now only allowed 1 to 9 miles over the posted limit. Its on their website.

[Louie B.]

I saw a camera on US60 westbound near Val Vista I think. Not a van, but a fixed camera. Is that new?

I'm seeing several permanent cameras being installed on the 60!!

[danjmcs]

Just to let you know, DPS is exploring new technology where your radar detectors won't help you.

Yep, European, especially the UK have been using the plate scanners for awhile, though what Mark is referring to are the radar detector models that have GPS capability built into them. This lets you mark areas in it where you know there are known non-radar triggered speed devices, so the detector still warns you that your coming up to such a location.

The new "pop" radar technology they are also using in some systems is making the detectors pretty useless as well. It's a very short burst with very little radiated signal, so even a detector 1/4 to 1/2 mile away won't pick up the signal of someone else getting hit with radar ahead of you. So once you see it, it's seen you, and that is that.

It's more fun on the race track anyway... no worries of that stuff.

[scuzzlepook]

More info:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/glen ... 16-ON.html

[Gigi]

True, but even knowing the location of a license plate reader average speed over distance system camera isn't of any benefit. If you were averaging 20 mph over the speed limit over the last 50 miles, the few seconds of braking as you pass the known 2nd location (the gotcha location), it won't have any measurable effect to reduce your average speed over the total 50 mile distance. So knowing that's its there and "marking" it is pointless.

Just a note on the Casa Grande project, the license plate reader's most successful 1 hour of use was the capture of 7 stolen vehicles heading from Phoenix to Mexico. This is still the intended purpose with speed enforcement capabilities as a secondary benefit.

On a side note, DPS is getting too much blame for the expansion of the photoradar program. For the last 3 years, the Arizona Highway Patrol Association and the Director of DPS issued several written statements denouncing photoradar and a desire not to allow it on state highways. Their mission was to have the Legislature authorize more officer positions...not cameras. When the issue came up, the Department lobbied the Legislature and Governor not to implement it....and they fought quite hard...which was surprising.

It was the Governor's Office that realized that it could not afford patrol officers and looked at photoradar as a measure to supplement patrol officers. Later, as the budget year grew tighter, the Governor recognized the profit that could be generated from it to offset this year's budget cuts. Which have been pretty harsh. Our DPS crime labs took a $6 million cut in July. Today, additional cuts have been ordered to the tune of %10 per each functional unit the Department. The crime labs have instituted fees to agencies that use their services....for the first time ever. Some municipalities can't afford the fees and are simply not processing crime scene evidence.

Photoradar came about as a direct Executive Order from the Governor. DPS as an executive cabinet agency has no choice but to follow the direct order. So any complaints, anger, or disgust over photoradar should be directed to the Governor for forcing an agency to do something it was against in the first place.

That's the first hand truth as I work for DPS.

[BellaMaria]

*In addition....

I was driving on the 101 a few days ago and there was a van w camera driving 50MPH! Everyone was afraid to pass it (as if it was going to snap while we were all moving) and bottlenecked the whole freeway....

I called Scottsdale PD who connected me to DPS. It was confirmed that they can NOT flash you while you are both traveling down the freeway. So the next time you see people afraid to pass - blow by them and show them that MINIs know the way.

As for the radar.... Guess we will just have to set cruise control.

Side note - if you call 511 from your cell - you can find out what is closed. It seems like everything is closed on the weekend (freeways, that is)

[Mabel]

There is a permanent camera west bound on the 60 between Country Club and Alma School.

[danjmcs]

Just a note on the Casa Grande project, the license plate reader's most successful 1 hour of use was the capture of 7 stolen vehicles heading from Phoenix to Mexico. This is still the intended purpose with speed enforcement capabilities as a secondary benefit.

Good article talking about the license plate readers and current/potential use.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... t1123.html