Finally! Morrison speed camera is destroyed/vandalized

[edyvw]

I don't know the details of how it was implemented, I thought the news report said one was mobile? It seemed the people in the town thought whatever they were doing was working pretty good. I still like principle, 10 over is lots of leaway and if you get a ticket, either your not paying attention, or don't care about $40.
The town should do what's good for the towns people, if folks passing through can't respect a reasonable speed then they get a gentle reminder in the mail. I think this is the only practical way to enforce a speed limit for a small town with big city traffic moving through it?

This town is in focus for a long time. The truth is that they are racking up money bcs. speed limit is too low, and basically it is set as trap for tourists. They are basically abusing their location as Red Rocks theater is there.
I passed through several times, it is absolute trap that doesn’t make any sense. If you are not familiar with, you will pay.

 

[edyvw]

Years ago, Car and Driver magazine had a good article about the notorious speed trap in Linndale, Ohio, where apparently I-71 goes through about 1/4-mile of that town. They used to run radar on the highway, and they'd pull over speeders, insist they pay up on the spot (in cash of course) and if they couldn't pay, they'd haul them downtown to face the judge. Fines would be negotiated on the spot and of course the courthouse had a cash machine right there in the building. I've since read that the live radar was replaced by speed cameras, and they would mail out tickets instead. People who tried to fight the tickets would have to attend a kangaroo court and eventually fines would be reduced depending on how sorry you were, or weren't.

Makes me wonder if that is all still going on?

i85 in Atlanta has portion where I think city of Decatur is like covering 1/2 mile and they make sure they cash in.

 

[ripcord]

I'm surprised that those things aren't shot out more often than they are.

I remember a story about folks Arizona who made a habit of covering the lenses of speed and red light cameras with Silly String. Last I heard they finally started taking them down after all the vandalism and mass non payment of tickets made it too much to deal with?

 

[MNgopher]

Reality check here.

Speed limits and the laws regulating them vary widely by state. Some require the speed studies referenced. Others do not. Colorado does not require speed studies in setting speed limits.

Furthermore, Colorado law gives Cities and towns the authority to set their own speed limits by ordinance that can be more restrictive than those outlined in State Law. Morrison has done so and set a 25 mph speed limit in City limits.

Colorado gives a lot of local control to its Cities and towns. Comments about nobody voting to put this in are inaccurate in that the people who actually vote for their decision makers - ie: the residents of Morrison - did by giving their approval to their elected city officials who continue to utilize these tools. If you aren't a resident of Morrison, then your recourse is with the Colorado Legislature - who actually voted to give more authority to Cities in Colorado to utilize these tools.

That being said, the amount of the City budget that is paid for by the fines from aggressive patrolling of the speed limit is eye opening in Morrison's case.

 

[Astro14]

I don't know the details of how it was implemented, I thought the news report said one was mobile? It seemed the people in the town thought whatever they were doing was working pretty good. I still like principle, 10 over is lots of leaway and if you get a ticket, either your not paying attention, or don't care about $40.
The town should do what's good for the towns people, if folks passing through can't respect a reasonable speed then they get a gentle reminder in the mail. I think this is the only practical way to enforce a speed limit for a small town with big city traffic moving through it?

I read the linked news report and in that report was a a link to previous reporting with the location, number of citations, and cost per citation.

 

[CKN]

Sometimes the public has to take matters in their own hands. It's not an act of vandalism to remove a device or take it out of commission, that nobody voted for to be installed.

This statement opens a big old can of worms.......but I will just leave it there...dangling.....

 

[edyvw]

OK, I think, I think, there is more to it:
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/colorad...-plan-colorado-town-jefferson-county-sheriff/

 

[Mekks]

OK, I think, I think, there is more to it:
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/colorad...-plan-colorado-town-jefferson-county-sheriff/

Was just about to post this.

 

[Bill Judson]

I knew about this camera and was careful when in that area.

But... you have no idea who vandalized this equipment?

Safety is priority and prevention is always priority over citation.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that... privately the city counsel wants to make some cash!

They just don't talk openly about ways they are going to accomplish this.

 

[edyvw]

But... you have no idea who vandalized this equipment? View attachment 252785





Yeah, keep telling yourself that... privately the city counsel wants to make some cash!

They just don't talk openly about ways they are going to accomplish this.

I thought that was the point of my first post.

 

[Lubener]

Sometimes the public has to take matters in their own hands. It's not an act of vandalism to remove a device or take it out of commission, that nobody voted for to be installed.

You have a weird interpretation between what is right and wrong.

 

[mk378]

The way to rein this in is to have all fines and "court costs" pay into state general tax funds instead of to the locality.

A town that is popular with tourists should have no problem staying funded by taxing things that tourists buy.

 

[Kira]

have all fines and "court costs" pay into state general tax funds instead of to the locality.

Ha-ha...Now that you mention it, I had occasion to talk to a municipal judge.
He told me "they'd" plea down speeding tickets on the state highway to illegal parking or littering tickets because the town would get nearly all the revenue. The bulk of speeding fines went to the state.

 

[4WD]

The way to rein this in is to have all fines and "court costs" pay into state general tax funds instead of to the locality.

A town that is popular with tourists should have no problem staying funded by taxing things that tourists buy.

Rent a room and car in Chicago …

 

[thastinger]

If people drove reasonably close to the speed limit, these contraptions would make 0 dollars.

 

[4WD]

Ha-ha...Now that you mention it, I had occasion to talk to a municipal judge.
He told me "they'd" plea down speeding tickets on the state highway to illegal parking or littering tickets because the town would get nearly all the revenue. The bulk of speeding fines went to the state.

Hoping within a year ours can get back to patrolling the highway …

 

[Kira]

ours can get back to patrolling the highway

Your municipal judges patrol the highway?

 

[4WD]

He told me "they'd" plea down speeding tickets on the state highway

 

[Bill Judson]

I thought that was the point of my first post.

Well then, carry on.... as you were soldier!

Your municipal judges patrol the highway?

Only on the weekend... after they get liquored up!

 

[KrisZ]

You have a weird interpretation between what is right and wrong.

Sounds like you do though, so the world is safe.