AURORA | City council is considering using photo radar vans to catch speeders in Aurora school zones.

The city council’s Public Safety Committee is scheduled to hear a presentation Tuesday about the proposal, which would first monitor vehicles in a school zone to see if speeding there is a problem.

Aurora is already home to photo red light cameras at 14 intersections around town, but the city has never used the technology to target speeders the way cities including Denver and Boulder have. Also, the city’s photo red light systems are stationary, but the new proposal calls for mobile vans that could be used in various school zones as needed.

If the initial research shows speeding is a problem, Xerox State and Local Solutions, the company behind the plan, would then use vans to monitor school zones.

City Councilwoman Barb Cleland said only if the pilot program shows speeding through school zones is a problem wold council vote to use the vans on a widespread basis.

Still, the city’s photo red light program has been controversial and Cleland said she expects the photo radar vans would be too.

“I’m sure there will be some blowback,” she said.

But, Cleland said, because the program would be limited to school zones, she expects the public to be more receptive. One of the top complaints council members receive is about speeders in school zones, she said.

According to Xerox, the systems have proven successful at reducing speeding. In Bowie, Md., the company said a similar system saw the number of vehicles speeding more than 12 mph over the limit drop from 3 percent down to less than .5 percent in three years.

10 replies on “Aurora to consider photo radar vans”

  1. The city put a portable radar system in my neighborhood for a few days to remind people to slow down (flashing speed is displayed when above the limit) and to document all traffic and speed.

    I wonder if instead of a photo radar van, which has a person inside, whether unmanned systems could be permanently mounted at school zones, always advising people when they are over the limit. Then if the problem remains, a photoradar van could be used.

    I think we will end up with slower traffic in school zones and less demand for photo radar.

  2. You don’t monitor speeds to see if there is a problem, you look at crash history and crash data. If drivers can do whatever it is that they are currently doing and there are no bad consequences, then THERE IS NO PROBLEM.
    These camera salesman are slick, like timeshare salesman. By the time they are done with their presentation, they will have the council convinced that the road is full of maniacs and that no one is safe at any time, ever, unless they install an automated ticketing machine. Be careful Aurora, call your council and talk some sense in to them.

    1. Ummmm…are you aware the Aurora City Council is a GOP majority?
      Ohhh,,,, they didn’t cover that on Fox?
      Coucilwoman Peterson is really the only liberal. To be honest, I am not sure what her stance is on Photo Radar.
      Good thing there is no photo radar at the buffet…right Tom?

        1. So people should vote GOP no matter what, get mad at their incompetence, then claim they were Democrats all along.
          Tom…stop acting like a child. Your hatred of your fellow man has polluted your thoughts,…along with the saturated fats.

  4. These tickets are NO POINTS since there is no officer issuing the ticket.
    Those receiving tickets have the right to question their accuser. Since their accuser is a machine, they don’t have that right. So to allow for the tickets they are only a fine and no points.
    So…..why School Zones????? Because the fine is doubled in school zones.
    This is what happens when you privatize the government.
    Companies looking to make profits.

  5. Schools are considered “target rich” environments for increasing revenue in a city. Speed isn’t the only public safety issue that needs to be addressed in school zones but, these tickets generate an extra $100.00 per ticket, for each one that is paid.
    If public safety trumphed revenue, you’d have an officer on hand to interact with the violaters. That officer would attempt to correct the bad driving behaviors in the future, while they’re at it. That’s when you care about public safety!
    Here’s a little something to ponder. Why are we increasing the electronic cops? Why is communication and interaction decreasing between the citizens and the police department?
    Drum roll please………revenue! Remember, electronic cops don’t need pensions, vacations, sick days, comp time, coffee and lunch breaks, etc. Liability drops to zero as well.
    They just keep generating revenue all day and all night long.

  6. Keeping in mind that Dan Oates was the Chief of Police for Ann Arbor from 2001 to 2005, here is an article of interest.

    https://www.a2politico.com/2011/08/aapd-sources-allege-crime-is-down-in-ann-arbor-because-the-cops-arent-filing-reports-crimes-are-deliberately-misclassified/

    Then go to wikipedia and you’ll be shocked to read information there under Career. (Pay particular attention to the information about him working for Mayor John Heftje).

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Oates

    Then this article in the New York Daily News. (Pay close attention to the last sentence).

    https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/aurora-police-chief-daniel-oates-began-crime-fighting-career-nypd-article-1.1118947
    Police departments throughout the land are pleased as punch to get a 2% reduction in crime. Yet, we are buying Chief Oates achieves these incredibly high numbers everywhere he goes?
    Chief Oates must be amazeballs! Yeah…..right.
    (Copy and paste the links into your url to read the articles)

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