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Speed cameras to be activated at midnight

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Font Size:Default font sizeLarger font size By Tory Brecht | Wednesday, January 14, 2009 2:43 PM CST | () comments

Even though glazed-over streets may render them temporarily moot, Davenport’s speed cameras are set to go online at midnight.

The cameras have been idle for more than a year, as the city battled in court for the continued right to use them for traffic enforcement.

Lt. Mike Venema of the police department’s traffic division said the equipment has been tested and passed muster.

“It appears the fixed speed cameras are ready to go,” he said. “We’re completing training today on the mobile speed van. It will be available for deployment beginning Thursday, but its use will depend on officer needs for the weather emergency.”

Meanwhile, the red-light enforcement cameras at five intersections remain offline due to a technical glitch.

They were supposed to be reactivated Jan. 1, but the communications network that sends video data between Davenport and vendor Nestor Traffic Systems’ processing center in Rhode Island was not operational.

Officials from Nestor said the company hopes to have the data flowing by Jan. 16, which would allow the city to begin issuing tickets for running red lights soon after that.

“There is no update on the stop-light cameras other than the last estimate from the company, which called for them to be working by Jan. 16,” Venema said.

Although the red-light cameras aren’t working right now, Venema said drivers shouldn’t view that as an open invitation to skate through red lights. Regular traffic enforcement continues, and the department will not announce when the glitch is fixed.

Speed camera locations that will go active Thursday:

* Brady Street and Kimberly Road

* 35th and Harrison streets

* Lincoln Avenue and Locust Street

* 2700 block Brady Street

* 1400 block East River Drive

* 3400 block Division Street

* 1700 block West 3rd Street

* One mobile unit

Red-light camera locations active as soon as equipment is fixed:

* Kimberly Road and Welcome Way

* Kimberly Road and Elmore Avenue

* Harrison and 35th streets

* Kimberly Road and Brady Street

* Lincoln Avenue and Locust Street

Tory Brecht can be contacted at (563) 383-2329 or tbrecht@qctimes.com.

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