1 30 12 City Council Proceedings Official_Special and RegularCITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
OFFICIAL
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:00 p.m. on January 30, 2012 in
the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street.
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Braig, Connors, Lynch, Resnick, Sutton; City
Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Lindahl
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council to
conduct a work session on automated traffic enforcement.
WORK SESSION
Automated Traffic Enforcement (ATE)
Police Department Presentation
City of Dubuque Police Chief Mark Dalsing provided background information on
Dubuque's local history with traffic cameras and referenced trial projects and new
developments in technology since completion of those projects. Chief Dalsing provided
a slide presentation that highlighted the following topics:
• Accident investigations: Local accident totals as calculated by the Police
Department, Engineering Department, and the Iowa Department of
Transportation using street, multiple intersections and vehicle volume statistics;
• Traffic Enforcement: Top violations for 2011;
• Challenges: Locations, calls for service, size of city increasing;
• ATE Review process: On -site visits to other cities, state -wide meetings, statistical
and study reviews;
• Request for Proposals issued November 2011; closed December 2011, review
committee convened in January 2012;
• Official traffic control signals code excerpt 9 -7- 321.257 and definitions of "steady
circular red" and "steady circular yellow" lights;
• ATE will be a matter of public record with changes, city entry points and
enforcement areas well publicized;
• Review of the system: moment of violation through notification and owner options
including violator options such as watching video of the infractions, contesting the
fine, and /or paying the fine;
• Additional benefits: live feed capability, post accident /incident review, criminal
investigations review;
• What ATE does not do: eliminate traffic violations, street investigations or
eliminate the need for a physical officer.
City Council discussion included information on the City's current traffic management
system, information on establishment of fines and clarification of criminal fines vs. civil
infractions; state and local fine requirements and jurisdiction; definitions and current
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enforcement of yellow /red lights; local control and review of ATE system - generated
violations; concern over citizen frustration with fine process; technological capabilities of
the ATE system for managing cross - traffic detection and lighting; enforcement as a
deterrent; consistency, and the request for proposal and vendor selection process.
Engineering Safety Solutions
City Engineer Gus Psihoyos provided a slide presentation that highlighted the
following topics:
• Intersections: design, example projects, infrastructure /equipment;
• Safer Geometric designs -
o Roundabout and statistics,
o Turning lane design (e.g. NW Arterial);
• Traffic safety improvements -
o Downtown mastarm improvements,
o Reduced lanes, speeds revised striping, improved crosswalks;
• Technology improvements: preemptions, battery backups;
• New 12 LED signals replacements.
Factors affecting intersection safety: count down peds installed where appropriate,
mastarm replacements, vision triangles, yellow beacons, yellow /red /green duration,
clearance times and calculating ITE formulas (Institute of Transportation Engineers).
Examples of red light accidents at Dubuque intersection.
Responding to questions from City Council, City Engineer Gus Psihoyos stated that
the department does not have statistical profile data on accidents and the current
camera system is set for vehicle detection and not accidents or traffic enforcement. City
Council discussion included questions on signaled intersections vs. four -way stops;
modification of yellow /red light clearance times; intentional vs. unintentional red light
violations; and consistency throughout the City.
Recommended Vendor Presentation
Aaron Rosenberg, Executive Vice President for Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc.,
provided background information on the company and outlined its credentials stating
that is has 20 -plus years of uninterrupted experience in 25 states and Canada including
50 municipalities in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, Mr. Rosenberg a slide presentation that
highlighted the following topics:
• Traffic Safety Coalition tool kit;
• Crash /violation video samples;
• U.S. fatality statistics from speed and red light accidents;
• Intersections are a Planned point of conflict;
• Dubuque accidents statistics;
• Evaluating red light running programs in Iowa;
• Public safety benefits results and statistics from the Arizona Department of Public
Safety and City of Columbus, Ohio;
• HALO collision avoidance technology.
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The ATE System is meant to be used just as other traffic enforcement designs are
utilized to raise cognition through signage and behavior modification. The system will
not arm until the red light is engaged.
ABC: antecedents, behaviors, consequences;
A: impatient, rushed, distracted;
B: Stop (desired); Run (undesired);
C: Punishment.
Redflex has access to DMV of all 50 states strict screening guidelines. No ticket is
sent out until Dubuque Police review or reject the violation, Mailed notifications include
a URL /video link, photo images, and a call center number with trained personal.
Violators may appeal /pay the violation or nominate another driver who is responsible for
the violation. Most states adhere to civil infractions that have the same rights and
privileges as a parking ticket. Examples the website from the violator and police
perspectives were provided.
Public outreach — template driven technology, branding, website development, and
common consistent messaging.
Responding to questions from City Council, Mr. Rosenberg stated that Reflex is
responsible for all up- front. Pricing is determined in many ways and is established per
contract such as fixed fees or a percentage of paid violations. Other discussion included
local authority to review violations, violations that are not safety issues, the need for
camera's in Dubuque will be determined through crash /violation history and actual
occurrence video, review of other design issues /options, reasons for removing the
system as compared to other cities, "big brother" syndrome, next steps, and monitoring
proposed legislation.
Following discussion the City Council reached consensus on having staff continue
negotiations with the recommended vendor and await the outcome of proposed state
legislation regarding the subject of automated traffic enforcement.
There being no further business, upon motion the City Council adjourned at 8:22 p.m.
/s /Kevin Firnstahl
City Clerk
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