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Santa Fe Uses Speed Data to Determine Effectiveness of Unmanned 'Speed SUVs'

Crash data presented to councilors doesn’t show that speeding is the biggest contributor to crashes in the city.

(TNS) -- A proposal to bring back unmanned, specially equipped vehicles to ticket drivers caught exceeding the speed limit on Santa Fe streets is running into resistance as it works it way through city committees.

The Public Works CIP and Land Use Committee on Tuesday voted 3-0 against the proposal, which is scheduled to go next to the city’s Finance Committee.

The Public Safety Committee initially tabled the idea in March, asking the Santa Fe Police Department to clarify language in the proposed ordinance and revisit some details. That advisory panel earlier this month advanced the proposal after city staff made amendments that included lowering the fine for first-time offenders to $50 from $100.

But even with the amendments, which also included striking language that would allow police to seize vehicles from violators who accumulate outstanding tickets, three of four councilors at Tuesday’s public works committee meeting voiced concerns.

At issue is the effectiveness of a program that involves contracting with a company to oversee the ticketing operation and supply the equipment, which can only be placed on certain city streets. While advocates say such a system, like the one the city stopped using three years ago, saves police manpower while discouraging speeding, the previous program was not popular with many residents.

“I don’t want Santa Fe to be known as a speed trap,” said Councilor Joseph Maestas said Tuesday. “It’s going to aggravate our motorists.”

He also said crash data presented to councilors doesn’t show that speeding is the biggest contributor to crashes in the city. He said a breakdown of data provided by police Chief Patrick Gallagher showed most crashes in the past few years were at intersections under state jurisdiction, where the city can’t station the camera-equipped SUVs.

Maestas said drivers running red lights on state-maintained roads appeared to be a bigger danger than motorists exceeding speed limits on city-owned streets.

Like Maestas, Councilor Renee Villarreal questioned whether the program would be successful in light of the fact that the city had trouble in past years collecting thousands of dollars in fines assessed against drivers ticketed under the old speed-enforcement program.

Councilor Chris Rivera also voted against the plan.

Councilor Peter Ives, who chairs the committee and is co-sponsoring the proposal, wasn’t present. Councilor Ron Trujillo, another sponsor, who didn’t vote because he was the acting chairman, was the only member who favored the plan.

The proposal is scheduled to be heard by the city’s Finance Committee on June 5. If the plan clears that committee, it will have a public hearing before the full council on June 28.

The city at one time deployed three of the unmanned speed-enforcement vehicles, two of which were parked in school zones during morning and evening hours when school was in session.

The equipment is only permitted on city-owned streets and requires at least 150 feet of straight road to read speeds correctly. Also, roads must be wide enough to park an SUV without impeding vehicular or pedestrian traffic.

The city dropped an automated speed-monitoring and ticketing system dubbed STOP three years ago after city councilors let a contract lapse with Phoenix-based Redflex Traffic Systems. The decision came as the company’s top executive was prosecuted for bribery in other states.

©2017 The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.