DC Council & Traffic Enforcement

[Anonymous]

The DC Council's Transportation and Environment committee (Allen, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker & Henderson) had a very interesting public hearing today on four bills that would overhaul local traffic enforcement. Among other things, the bills would impose points for speeding violations, strip licenses from repeat offenders, respond to the proliferation of fake and temp tags and so on. On the face of it, the bills are good. However, I didn't leave the hearing with positive vibes at all.

Despite commenter after commenter pleading for it, the council doesn't seem inclined to ask MPD to start doing traffic stops again. I get the sense that the likes of Allen and Nadeau would like to create some kind of alternative traffic enforcement agency (although I don't think anyone has thought that through), but it's more or less impossible to see how that would happen in the next 5-10 years and so is a pipe dream. Allen said more or less explicitly that he's not into "citizen enforcement" (a la NYC) either because he wants the "government to do its job" (ha!). So the only tools for enforcement are the status quo triumvirate of traffic cameras (which are few and far between), boots (which are trivial for the driver to remove), and towing (which the mayor refuses to resource), which is almost as bad as nothing at all.

So, while the proposed changes in penalties are good, there is no real plan at all for enforcing those penalties. So the Mad Max craziness on DC streets will continue . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DC Council's Transportation and Environment committee (Allen, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker & Henderson) had a very interesting public hearing today on four bills that would overhaul local traffic enforcement. Among other things, the bills would impose points for speeding violations, strip licenses from repeat offenders, respond to the proliferation of fake and temp tags and so on. On the face of it, the bills are good. However, I didn't leave the hearing with positive vibes at all.

Despite commenter after commenter pleading for it, the council doesn't seem inclined to ask MPD to start doing traffic stops again. I get the sense that the likes of Allen and Nadeau would like to create some kind of alternative traffic enforcement agency (although I don't think anyone has thought that through), but it's more or less impossible to see how that would happen in the next 5-10 years and so is a pipe dream. Allen said more or less explicitly that he's not into "citizen enforcement" (a la NYC) either because he wants the "government to do its job" (ha!). So the only tools for enforcement are the status quo triumvirate of traffic cameras (which are few and far between), boots (which are trivial for the driver to remove), and towing (which the mayor refuses to resource), which is almost as bad as nothing at all.

So, while the proposed changes in penalties are good, there is no real plan at all for enforcing those penalties. So the Mad Max craziness on DC streets will continue . . .

When I was a kid in DC, car booting was real. Now I would fall over if I saw a boot, and isn't there only one tow truck or something? The city needs to fund this and rat catching/killing. But you know, priorities (being what? no one knows)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC Council's Transportation and Environment committee (Allen, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker & Henderson) had a very interesting public hearing today on four bills that would overhaul local traffic enforcement. Among other things, the bills would impose points for speeding violations, strip licenses from repeat offenders, respond to the proliferation of fake and temp tags and so on. On the face of it, the bills are good. However, I didn't leave the hearing with positive vibes at all.

Despite commenter after commenter pleading for it, the council doesn't seem inclined to ask MPD to start doing traffic stops again. I get the sense that the likes of Allen and Nadeau would like to create some kind of alternative traffic enforcement agency (although I don't think anyone has thought that through), but it's more or less impossible to see how that would happen in the next 5-10 years and so is a pipe dream. Allen said more or less explicitly that he's not into "citizen enforcement" (a la NYC) either because he wants the "government to do its job" (ha!). So the only tools for enforcement are the status quo triumvirate of traffic cameras (which are few and far between), boots (which are trivial for the driver to remove), and towing (which the mayor refuses to resource), which is almost as bad as nothing at all.

So, while the proposed changes in penalties are good, there is no real plan at all for enforcing those penalties. So the Mad Max craziness on DC streets will continue . . .

When I was a kid in DC, car booting was real. Now I would fall over if I saw a boot, and isn't there only one tow truck or something? The city needs to fund this and rat catching/killing. But you know, priorities (being what? no one knows)

The Mayor for Ward 9 would like a word . . .

[Anonymous]

MPD doesn't care about traffic enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MPD doesn't care about traffic enforcement.

They were never great about it, but they used to do a hell of a lot more than they do now. But now the Council doesn't want them to do it, the Mayor doesn't want them to do it, and one presumes the Mayor's appointee doesn't want them to do it, so of course they are not going to suddenly start doing it.

[Anonymous]

There's already points for speeding and everything else.

[Anonymous]

On that note… a little birdie told me the reason why the bus lane only enforcement got delayed is because the cameras that were purchased don’t work.
Does anything in this city?

[Anonymous]

I have been seeing more boots lately.

They should invest in more tow trucks though - and to combat the fake tags, immediately impound any car they see with fake tags or an excessive number of outstanding violations.

Keep the car in impound for 90 to 120 days and if the owner doesn't make good on his situation in that time, the car goes from impound lot to auction lot.

Enough of this BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's already points for speeding and everything else.

In DC? No not really - MPD has averaged a few thousand traffic citations a year over the last 10 years and a lot of those are actually attached to accidents where MPD is supposed to investigate and issue a citation.

There are no points attached to camera citations which are about 99% of the citations now issued in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MPD doesn't care about traffic enforcement.

They were never great about it, but they used to do a hell of a lot more than they do now. But now the Council doesn't want them to do it, the Mayor doesn't want them to do it, and one presumes the Mayor's appointee doesn't want them to do it, so of course they are not going to suddenly start doing it.

I could see them bending to pressure from the mayor, but MPD dgaf about what the council says unless they pass a law, and even then sometimes they just don't comply.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DC Council's Transportation and Environment committee (Allen, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker & Henderson) had a very interesting public hearing today on four bills that would overhaul local traffic enforcement. Among other things, the bills would impose points for speeding violations, strip licenses from repeat offenders, respond to the proliferation of fake and temp tags and so on. On the face of it, the bills are good. However, I didn't leave the hearing with positive vibes at all.

Despite commenter after commenter pleading for it, the council doesn't seem inclined to ask MPD to start doing traffic stops again. I get the sense that the likes of Allen and Nadeau would like to create some kind of alternative traffic enforcement agency (although I don't think anyone has thought that through), but it's more or less impossible to see how that would happen in the next 5-10 years and so is a pipe dream. Allen said more or less explicitly that he's not into "citizen enforcement" (a la NYC) either because he wants the "government to do its job" (ha!). So the only tools for enforcement are the status quo triumvirate of traffic cameras (which are few and far between), boots (which are trivial for the driver to remove), and towing (which the mayor refuses to resource), which is almost as bad as nothing at all.

So, while the proposed changes in penalties are good, there is no real plan at all for enforcing those penalties. So the Mad Max craziness on DC streets will continue . . .

So basically law-abiding families like the soccer mom who went 5 over will end up paying ever more draconian traffic fines. Meanwhile the truly crazy and dangerous drivers will have nothing to worry about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's already points for speeding and everything else.

In DC? No not really - MPD has averaged a few thousand traffic citations a year over the last 10 years and a lot of those are actually attached to accidents where MPD is supposed to investigate and issue a citation.

There are no points attached to camera citations which are about 99% of the citations now issued in DC.

And everyone knew from the very beginning that camera citations cannot be attached to points because cameras can only cite vehicles not people. Adding points to camera citations would be blatantly unconstitutional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The DC Council's Transportation and Environment committee (Allen, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker & Henderson) had a very interesting public hearing today on four bills that would overhaul local traffic enforcement. Among other things, the bills would impose points for speeding violations, strip licenses from repeat offenders, respond to the proliferation of fake and temp tags and so on. On the face of it, the bills are good. However, I didn't leave the hearing with positive vibes at all.

Despite commenter after commenter pleading for it, the council doesn't seem inclined to ask MPD to start doing traffic stops again. I get the sense that the likes of Allen and Nadeau would like to create some kind of alternative traffic enforcement agency (although I don't think anyone has thought that through), but it's more or less impossible to see how that would happen in the next 5-10 years and so is a pipe dream. Allen said more or less explicitly that he's not into "citizen enforcement" (a la NYC) either because he wants the "government to do its job" (ha!). So the only tools for enforcement are the status quo triumvirate of traffic cameras (which are few and far between), boots (which are trivial for the driver to remove), and towing (which the mayor refuses to resource), which is almost as bad as nothing at all.

So, while the proposed changes in penalties are good, there is no real plan at all for enforcing those penalties. So the Mad Max craziness on DC streets will continue . . .

So basically law-abiding families like the soccer mom who went 5 over will end up paying ever more draconian traffic fines. Meanwhile the truly crazy and dangerous drivers will have nothing to worry about.

Yeah, pretty much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The DC Council's Transportation and Environment committee (Allen, Nadeau, Frumin, Parker & Henderson) had a very interesting public hearing today on four bills that would overhaul local traffic enforcement. Among other things, the bills would impose points for speeding violations, strip licenses from repeat offenders, respond to the proliferation of fake and temp tags and so on. On the face of it, the bills are good. However, I didn't leave the hearing with positive vibes at all.

Despite commenter after commenter pleading for it, the council doesn't seem inclined to ask MPD to start doing traffic stops again. I get the sense that the likes of Allen and Nadeau would like to create some kind of alternative traffic enforcement agency (although I don't think anyone has thought that through), but it's more or less impossible to see how that would happen in the next 5-10 years and so is a pipe dream. Allen said more or less explicitly that he's not into "citizen enforcement" (a la NYC) either because he wants the "government to do its job" (ha!). So the only tools for enforcement are the status quo triumvirate of traffic cameras (which are few and far between), boots (which are trivial for the driver to remove), and towing (which the mayor refuses to resource), which is almost as bad as nothing at all.

So, while the proposed changes in penalties are good, there is no real plan at all for enforcing those penalties. So the Mad Max craziness on DC streets will continue . . .

Aside from Henderson, those are not serious people.

Performance art, grandstanding, and hand-wringing. That’s all you’ll get from that group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's already points for speeding and everything else.

In DC? No not really - MPD has averaged a few thousand traffic citations a year over the last 10 years and a lot of those are actually attached to accidents where MPD is supposed to investigate and issue a citation.

There are no points attached to camera citations which are about 99% of the citations now issued in DC.

And everyone knew from the very beginning that camera citations cannot be attached to points because cameras can only cite vehicles not people. Adding points to camera citations would be blatantly unconstitutional.

"it's a car, not a driver" sounds like bullshit to me.

The vehicle has an owner, and the owner has responsibility for whoever is behind the wheel. So unless the owner can provide some documentation of circumstance (for example the car was leased out to someone else or the car was reported as stolen) or who it was behind the wheel at the time of the citation (such as a commercial vehicle with assigned drivers), the owner should be the one taking the citation and any penalties associated with it.