(The following story by Lily Leung appeared on The Arizona Republic website on January 9.)
PHOENIX, Ariz. — El Mirage on Thursday became the first city in Arizona — and one of the few in the country — to use cameras to fine railroad-crossing violators.
The City Council voted 6-1 to contract with Scottsdale-based Redflex Traffic Systems for cameras to detect red-light runners and motorists who drive around rail crossings. Vice Mayor Michele Kern voted against the measure.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, one of the largest railroads in the country, runs through El Mirage and would be involved in the 5-year contract that was approved by City Council.
“We believe it is a public-safety issue,” said City Manager BJ Cornwall. “It’s a good faith effort to reduce red-light traffic accidents and fatalities.”
Called Redflexrail, the system can detect when vehicles drive around railroad-crossing arms, according to the camera-enforcement company’s Web site. Sensors in violation areas will set off cameras, which will snap photos of violators.
The package also includes a microphone system that can record the bell sounds and whistling from approaching trains.
Redflex would shoulder the costs to install, operate and maintain the system but would get 25 percent of the fine amount due per citation. The city would get the rest.
Under the contract, up to 20 fixed cameras would be installed and four or five mobile speed-enforcement vans would be parked along the roads.
This will be the first installment of video enforcement on the BNSF Railway system, which operates a 32,000-mile route spanning 28 states and two Canadian provinces, said Lena Kent, BNSF’s director of public affairs. Kent said the railroad company is talking with several agencies across the system in several states about implementing this type of enforcement.
The proposed crossing in El Mirage would be Dysart and Thunderbird roads, Thompson Ranch Road and possibly along Grand Avenue. About 13 trains come through the Phoenix sub-main line on an average day.
El Mirage officials approached BNSF about the plan at the end of last year.
“BNSF Railway believes that this type of enforcement can influence driver behavior at rail crossings and increase driver safety. BNSF Railway supports video enforcement,” Kent said.