Palisades Park, N.J., Contracts with American Traffic Solutions, Inc. for Intersection Safety Program

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Mayor James Rotundo and the Council of the Borough of Palisades Park, N.J., unanimously agreed to apply to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for permission to install life-saving intersection safety cameras in their community to improve road safety for their residents. The Borough selected American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (ATS) to administer the program.

More than 500 communities in the United States are now using cameras to deter red-light running and the fatalities, injuries and property damage that result from red-light runners. The cameras are able to monitor intersections and accident-prone areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This allows police officers to deal with other crimes, which makes the entire community safer. The programs cost taxpayers nothing. They are totally funded by fines paid by violators.

Palisades Park is a densely populated municipality close to New York City, where ATS has supported the city’s intersection safety camera program since 1994. New York City’s program has resulted in a 73 percent reduction in red-light runners. Another ATS intersection safety program in Philadelphia resulted in a reduction of red-light running at some intersections of up to 96 percent.

“The Palisades Park Police Department is eager to get an intersection safety camera program up and running,” said Officer Matthew Finck, Emergency Services Director for the Palisades Park Police Department. “Our first step will be to work with ATS to identify the most dangerous intersections, in terms of red-light runners. We get a lot of cars coming through here on their way to the city. We want to send a strong message that we will not tolerate red-light runners endangering our local drivers and pedestrians.

“Our officers will continue to be involved in traffic safety enforcement,” Finck explained. “A police officer will review and approve all potential violations captured by the cameras before we give ATS permission to mail the tickets to offenders. We will also monitor the program to ensure that the cameras are completely accurate. The timing on the yellow lights will remain the same as they are now, as those are calibrated to adhere to national engineering standards and state guidelines.”

Palisades Park is one of several New Jersey communities that want to implement intersection safety camera programs in the wake of enabling legislation signed by Governor Corzine two years ago. The legislation makes it possible for more than 20 New Jersey communities to implement the life-saving programs under a five-year pilot program. Cities have to apply to NJDOT for permission to participate in the Red-Light Running Automated Enforcement Program. They also have to demonstrate that the intersections they want to monitor are dangerous.

“We thank the Borough of Palisades Park for selecting ATS,” said James Tuton, ATS president and CEO. “We’re currently partnering with more than 200 communities across North America that are using our technology. We’re confident that once we’ve had an opportunity to assess the most dangerous intersections and get our cameras installed, Palisades Park will be a safer place to live and drive. Our experience nationally is that these programs modify driver behavior dramatically. When cameras are installed, more people slow on yellow, stop on red and drive closer to the posted speed limit.”

Cameras will capture a photograph of a vehicle as it runs the red light. The violation photographs will be reviewed by ATS technicians and then by the police department for final review and authorization. Citations are issued to the owners of the offending vehicles. The registered owner has the option to pay the $85 fine or appeal the citation in court. These citations do not result in any points on the drivers’ records.

ATS has been selected to administer intersection safety camera programs in 11 New Jersey communities, including Brick Township (the first community in the state to use the ATS life-saving technology), Deptford, East Brunswick, Glassboro, Gloucester Township, Linden, Monroe Township, Wayne Township, Woodbridge and Union City.

About American Traffic Solutions™:

As the company whose principals were the architects of the first road safety cameras in the United States in 1987, ATS is also the fastest growing provider in North America, serving more than 26 million people in more than 200 communities including: New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Houston, Seattle and San Diego. ATS also offers PlatePass^®, an automated electronic toll payment service that enables rental vehicle customers to use high-speed, cashless electronic toll lanes. ATS is a privately owned, U.S. corporation headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more information, please visit: www.RedLightCamera.com, www.PlatePass.com or www.atsol.com.