Politics & Government

Township Seeks to Participate in Automatic Red Light Enforcement Grant Program

Wanting to take advantage of red light funding organized through the state, Upper Moreland has put in an application to install the red light cameras.

A unanimous vote taken at the July 11 regular board meeting will bring Upper Moreland Township one step closer to placing cameras  in certain traffic locations in the township.

The vote went toward applying for funds from the Automatic Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) Grant Program.

According to township solicitor Kate Harper at the meeting, the ARLE grant is organized through the state, and funded through the collective revenues derived from the sole municipality that uses red light cameras for traffic enforcement.

Find out what's happening in Upper Moreland-Willow Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She went on to say that the local municipality that pioneered red light cameras in the area, the City of Philadelphia, must forgo 50 percent of its revenues to the grant program.

Philadelphia is currently the only municipality in the state that is allowed to collect revenue by using the red light cameras for traffic law enforcement.

Find out what's happening in Upper Moreland-Willow Grovewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The reason 50 percent of revenues must be given by Philadelphia was the fear that a local government would use the cameras to raise money,” Harper said.

However, as Ward 4 commissioner Joseph Lavalle said during the meeting, the cameras’ primary use won’t be to ticket traffic violators trying to beat the light, but rather for observational purposes.

“Traffic studies are key components to land development,” Lavalle said.

Later on, Lavalle further explained the cameras’ observational use with an example of the current train station relocation feasibility study.

“What would the impact be on the current traffic patterns if we moved the station?” asked Lavalle, adding, “But, we don’t have that data.”

He also pointed out that the ARLE program was deliberately discussed in the Community Development committee, of which he is chairperson, and not in the Public Health and Safety committee.

According to Harper, there would need to be a new ordinance adopted by the township, and permission from the state, before traffic enforcement through red light cameras can be utilized.

According to township manager David Dodies, other townships’ police departments are currently using the cameras, but not for issuing tickets. Rather, they are used to create a quicker response time to traffic accidents and to provide alerts for traffic conditions.

Nonetheless, members of the audience and commissioners expressed reservations about installing the red light cameras.  

“This has everything you need to be abusive,” said Ward 7 commissioner James McKenna. “We want to be clear from the start that we don’t want to do that.”

Nick Scull, a Willow Grove resident speaking from the audience, compared traffic violations to an addictive drug, and urged board members to think ethically if the cameras were to be used for traffic enforcement farther down the road.

Ward 3 commissioner Donna Parsell gave a simple general response: “If you drive safely, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

In a recent letter from Gilmore and Associates, the township’s engineering firm, to David Dodies, the township manager, the application must be submitted from June 1 to July 29 to qualifiy for the ARLE funds.  If successful, the township could receive funds from $77,900 to $780,000.

According to the meeting’s agenda notes, the township is seeking an estimated $40,000 to add a pedestrian crossing sign at York Road, on the north side of Davisville Road, and video detection equipment at the same location, at an estimated cost of $30,000.

---

More from the reporter’s notebook:

At the closing comments, Ward 5 commissioner Kip McFatridge applauded the efforts of Upper Moreland’s police and fire departments, and other emergency personnel, for their quick response to a fatal car crash that also last week. He noted that emergency personnel stayed at the scene for 12 to 13 hours.

---


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here