DC Needs to Start Enforcing Traffic Laws

[Anonymous]

11:28am PP here. I worked at DPW under a recent previous administration.

The expected revenue is a line item. It is money that the District counts on receiving from traffic cameras. As a budgetary matter, they were treated the same as parking tickets: anticipated revenue for the city.

Bowser's proposal to TRIPLE the number of traffic cameras makes this even more apparent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:11:28am PP here. I worked at DPW under a recent previous administration.

The expected revenue is a line item. It is money that the District counts on receiving from traffic cameras. As a budgetary matter, they were treated the same as parking tickets: anticipated revenue for the city.

Bowser's proposal to TRIPLE the number of traffic cameras makes this even more apparent.

Of all the people that DC could possibly increase taxes on, shouldn't reckless Tesla bros running red lights be very high on that list? I just don't get all this misplaced sympathy for these douchebags who literally run over our schoolchildren.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:11:28am PP here. I worked at DPW under a recent previous administration.

The expected revenue is a line item. It is money that the District counts on receiving from traffic cameras. As a budgetary matter, they were treated the same as parking tickets: anticipated revenue for the city.

Bowser's proposal to TRIPLE the number of traffic cameras makes this even more apparent.

Of all the people that DC could possibly increase taxes on, shouldn't reckless Tesla bros running red lights be very high on that list? I just don't get all this misplaced sympathy for these douchebags who literally run over our schoolchildren.

There's a much, much greater chance that the violator is driving some beater POS with fake temp tags than driving a Tesla.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reciprocity issue solely revolves around D.C's abusive use of traffic cameras.

*MD and VA require their residents to pay D.C. tickets issued by MPD officers.* But MPD has all but ceased issuing traffic tickets.

I don't blame MD and VA residents for tossing away their D.C. traffic camera fundraising tickets.

For the last time, it's not about money. It's about stopping crazy reckless suburbanites from taking out their road rage on our narrow neighborhood streets. If you haven't checked the news, crazy iPhone-distracted speeders from VA and MD are literally killing DC children walking home from school.

Imagine if DC drivers came over to McLean to spin wheelies in your quiet cul-de-sacs. You'd be the first to scream there goes the neighborhood!

If those crazy reckless suburbanites had to pay the thousands of dollars of camera fines they owe before being allowed to renew their licenses and registrations, maybe they'd be less crazy and reckless. Right now they don't have to pay a cent, and it's emboldening them to be more crazy and reckless. So yes, it's about money.

Right but I think the argument is that it isn't about the money for DC per se- the tickets are supposed to deter people from speeding or running red lights in a. dangerous manner. The point is first and foremost to raise money- it is to make the streets safer for people who choose to walk, bike, etc in the city. Unfortunately the type of person who is likely to speed through a residential neighborhood is not deterred just by getting a ticket that they don't have to pay- but as PP points out they might be deterred if they had to pay before renewing their license.

It’s 100% about money. How does receiving a ticket change past behavior? People can’t go back in time and slow down.

If you want people to drive slower, put up a big sign with an arrow pointing to the camera. Most people will see the sign and correct current behavior.

- People can slow down the next time
- If people know that there is a speed camera coming up, they can slow down before they get to it

Both of these make the streets safer for pedestrians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reciprocity issue solely revolves around D.C's abusive use of traffic cameras.

*MD and VA require their residents to pay D.C. tickets issued by MPD officers.* But MPD has all but ceased issuing traffic tickets.

I don't blame MD and VA residents for tossing away their D.C. traffic camera fundraising tickets.

For the last time, it's not about money. It's about stopping crazy reckless suburbanites from taking out their road rage on our narrow neighborhood streets. If you haven't checked the news, crazy iPhone-distracted speeders from VA and MD are literally killing DC children walking home from school.

Imagine if DC drivers came over to McLean to spin wheelies in your quiet cul-de-sacs. You'd be the first to scream there goes the neighborhood!

If those crazy reckless suburbanites had to pay the thousands of dollars of camera fines they owe before being allowed to renew their licenses and registrations, maybe they'd be less crazy and reckless. Right now they don't have to pay a cent, and it's emboldening them to be more crazy and reckless. So yes, it's about money.

Right but I think the argument is that it isn't about the money for DC per se- the tickets are supposed to deter people from speeding or running red lights in a. dangerous manner. The point is first and foremost to raise money- it is to make the streets safer for people who choose to walk, bike, etc in the city. Unfortunately the type of person who is likely to speed through a residential neighborhood is not deterred just by getting a ticket that they don't have to pay- but as PP points out they might be deterred if they had to pay before renewing their license.

It’s 100% about money. How does receiving a ticket change past behavior? People can’t go back in time and slow down.

If you want people to drive slower, put up a big sign with an arrow pointing to the camera. Most people will see the sign and correct current behavior.

- People can slow down the next time
- If people know that there is a speed camera coming up, they can slow down before they get to it

Both of these make the streets safer for pedestrians.

Exactly. Sign them better and make it obvious. DC is relying on people driving slower next time, assuming the person ticketed even remembers.

Also, don’t most neighborhood studies show it’s the locals speeding on residential streets? VA and Md plates are probably caught speeding more on highways like 295/395 where pedestrians shouldn’t be regardless of the speed limit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:11:28am PP here. I worked at DPW under a recent previous administration.

The expected revenue is a line item. It is money that the District counts on receiving from traffic cameras. As a budgetary matter, they were treated the same as parking tickets: anticipated revenue for the city.

Bowser's proposal to TRIPLE the number of traffic cameras makes this even more apparent.

Of all the people that DC could possibly increase taxes on, shouldn't reckless Tesla bros running red lights be very high on that list? I just don't get all this misplaced sympathy for these douchebags who literally run over our schoolchildren.

I'm sure it's reckless Telas bros who make up the majority of ticket recipients. Absolutely sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:11:28am PP here. I worked at DPW under a recent previous administration.

The expected revenue is a line item. It is money that the District counts on receiving from traffic cameras. As a budgetary matter, they were treated the same as parking tickets: anticipated revenue for the city.

Bowser's proposal to TRIPLE the number of traffic cameras makes this even more apparent.

Of all the people that DC could possibly increase taxes on, shouldn't reckless Tesla bros running red lights be very high on that list? I just don't get all this misplaced sympathy for these douchebags who literally run over our schoolchildren.

I'm sure it's reckless Telas bros who make up the majority of ticket recipients. Absolutely sure.

The other day a white luxury SUV with gold trims almost ran over our entire family. Yes, it's often drivers of big high-end vehicles who are the most reckless.

[Anonymous]

Why isn't the city contracting with a private sector business to handle the booting? The city should just split the loot with the company, so there's a profit motive to do a thorough job. Let this company inspect private garages at office buildings for out-of-state scofflaws.

Let citizens report cars for booting in the DC311 app. You can already look up any license plate and see all the outstanding tickets.

DC already has vehicles with license plate scanners.

There is zero reason for DC to hire more booters directly when a private sector company could easily do this job for the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why isn't the city contracting with a private sector business to handle the booting? The city should just split the loot with the company, so there's a profit motive to do a thorough job. Let this company inspect private garages at office buildings for out-of-state scofflaws.

Let citizens report cars for booting in the DC311 app. You can already look up any license plate and see all the outstanding tickets.

DC already has vehicles with license plate scanners.

There is zero reason for DC to hire more booters directly when a private sector company could easily do this job for the city.

Your first suggestion would not make financial sense, because it would cost more to implement than the fines it would bring in if the city had to pay a private company to do it. And private companies don't exactly have a sterling record when it comes to this type of thing, because they would go to extreme lengths to ensure a profit.

Your second suggestion almost certainly would become an equity nightmare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why isn't the city contracting with a private sector business to handle the booting? The city should just split the loot with the company, so there's a profit motive to do a thorough job. Let this company inspect private garages at office buildings for out-of-state scofflaws.

Let citizens report cars for booting in the DC311 app. You can already look up any license plate and see all the outstanding tickets.

DC already has vehicles with license plate scanners.

There is zero reason for DC to hire more booters directly when a private sector company could easily do this job for the city.

Your first suggestion would not make financial sense, because it would cost more to implement than the fines it would bring in if the city had to pay a private company to do it. And private companies don't exactly have a sterling record when it comes to this type of thing, because they would go to extreme lengths to ensure a profit.

Your second suggestion almost certainly would become an equity nightmare.

If they "split the loot" how would it cost more than it would bring in?

What might happen is private companies might find they can't do it profitably, in which case the city wouldn't be able to hire anyone to do it. That would be strong evidence that enforcement is not cost-effective. But what would it cost to try?

[Anonymous]

The Tesla drivers that you dream of soaking drive from their suburban homes to office garages and can avoid any booting.

In the reality based community, private companies would patrol low income areas for cars parked on the street to boot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reciprocity issue solely revolves around D.C's abusive use of traffic cameras.

*MD and VA require their residents to pay D.C. tickets issued by MPD officers.* But MPD has all but ceased issuing traffic tickets.

I don't blame MD and VA residents for tossing away their D.C. traffic camera fundraising tickets.

For the last time, it's not about money. It's about stopping crazy reckless suburbanites from taking out their road rage on our narrow neighborhood streets. If you haven't checked the news, crazy iPhone-distracted speeders from VA and MD are literally killing DC children walking home from school.

Imagine if DC drivers came over to McLean to spin wheelies in your quiet cul-de-sacs. You'd be the first to scream there goes the neighborhood!

If those crazy reckless suburbanites had to pay the thousands of dollars of camera fines they owe before being allowed to renew their licenses and registrations, maybe they'd be less crazy and reckless. Right now they don't have to pay a cent, and it's emboldening them to be more crazy and reckless. So yes, it's about money.

Right but I think the argument is that it isn't about the money for DC per se- the tickets are supposed to deter people from speeding or running red lights in a. dangerous manner. The point is first and foremost to raise money- it is to make the streets safer for people who choose to walk, bike, etc in the city. Unfortunately the type of person who is likely to speed through a residential neighborhood is not deterred just by getting a ticket that they don't have to pay- but as PP points out they might be deterred if they had to pay before renewing their license.

It’s 100% about money. How does receiving a ticket change past behavior? People can’t go back in time and slow down.

If you want people to drive slower, put up a big sign with an arrow pointing to the camera. Most people will see the sign and correct current behavior.

- People can slow down the next time
- If people know that there is a speed camera coming up, they can slow down before they get to it

Both of these make the streets safer for pedestrians.

Exactly. Sign them better and make it obvious. DC is relying on people driving slower next time, assuming the person ticketed even remembers.

Also, don’t most neighborhood studies show it’s the locals speeding on residential streets? VA and Md plates are probably caught speeding more on highways like 295/395 where pedestrians shouldn’t be regardless of the speed limit.

Or they will just do one of the many things you can do to make your license plate unreadable to traffic cameras.

[Anonymous]

The streets are very safe. There's way, way more people murdered every year in Washington than killed in traffic accidents.

Maybe the problem here is that riding a bike on busy city streets is inherently dangerous and there's nothing anyone can do about that.

It's like trying to make boxing safe. It's not safe and it's never going to be safe. Same with riding your bike in a major city.

Bikers seem like they are in deep denial about the risks they are taking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The streets are very safe. There's way, way more people murdered every year in Washington than killed in traffic accidents.

Maybe the problem here is that riding a bike on busy city streets is inherently dangerous and there's nothing anyone can do about that.

It's like trying to make boxing safe. It's not safe and it's never going to be safe. Same with riding your bike in a major city.

Bikers seem like they are in deep denial about the risks they are taking.

There is nothing "inherent" about going 50+ in a 25mph zone, running red lights and other types of blatant road rage. Stop making excuses for reckless suburban a$$holes who literally kill dozens of pedestrians and bikers each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The streets are very safe. There's way, way more people murdered every year in Washington than killed in traffic accidents.

Maybe the problem here is that riding a bike on busy city streets is inherently dangerous and there's nothing anyone can do about that.

It's like trying to make boxing safe. It's not safe and it's never going to be safe. Same with riding your bike in a major city.

Bikers seem like they are in deep denial about the risks they are taking.

It's amazing how special 'Murica is that biking is inherently dangerous here, but not everywhere. We are just so exceptional. Exceptionally small minded.