Goodyear traffic cameras start recording

On November 4, 2024By Pranco

You may have noticed traffic cameras as you drove through Goodyear, taking extra care not to race to make that yellow light.

But the images on those traffic cameras can currently only be viewed in real time: the images are not recorded and saved.

That’s about to change, thanks to the unanimous support of the Goodyear City Council last week.

Goodyear’s cameras will soon record video footage that could help the city maintain safety on its roads by being available to police during crash and accident investigations.

According to the city Traffic master planThere were 3,965 accidents between 2017 and 2021. These largely occurred at major intersections along McDowell Road, Van Buren Street, Estrella Parkway and Litchfield Road.

The number of accidents has increased slightly over the years: 736 in 2017 and 905 in 2021.

But relatively speaking, Goodyear has fewer crashes compared to the rest of the Valley. According to the Maricopa Association of Governments’ top 100 intersections ranked by crash rate, none of Goodyear’s intersections made the list.

One of them made headlines in the city fatal accident in February 2023when a driver encountered a group of cyclists on South Cotton Bridge Lane, killing two and injuring another 19. In the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Three-year road safety plan for 2024-2026, the safety of cyclists and pedestrians is mentioned as a top priority.

Between 2018 and 2022, there was one fatal crash involving a bicyclist in Goodyear, while four more occurred in 2023. According to the report, the number of crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians has increased significantly in Goodyear. But that is also a national and national problem.

Phoenix also recently announced the implementation of red light cameras as a way to increase safety amid a shortage of police officers.

Steve Scinto, Goodyear’s city engineer, presented to the City Council following a discussion during a City Council work session in May. No action is taken during the working sessions, although they do provide the Council with an opportunity to discuss before making a decision. The May meeting also discussed license plate registration and the Real Time Crime Center in Glendale.

The project money is currently available in the budget and would be approximately $300,000 for the storage needed for the statues. That’s a three-year subscription, Scinto said. Because the city already has traffic cameras, no money is being spent on purchasing new ones.

The cameras will not be aimed at anyone’s homes or yards, but only at the city’s right-of-way.

Councilor Vicki Gillis initially supported the implementation of recording after she discovered that despite the presence of cameras, no recording was actually taking place. But adopting the policy will serve as a way to protect both police officers and the public. Gillis made it clear that the cameras would not be used to invade anyone’s privacy.

Councilmember Sheri Lauritano also emphasized that there is no right to privacy in public and in the community.

“We make sure we don’t violate anyone’s privacy,” Lauritano said. “We’re not investigating their houses or anything like that. I want to be very clear about that.’

The City Council specifically approved a policy regulating the operation and recording of traffic camera footage, Scinto said.

According to the policy, only the city’s technical staff has access to the images. However, there are times when police have access to the footage for specific uses.

The images would be used for traffic operations and police investigations. In addition to helping with traffic studies, it can also help the city identify any traffic problems.

As for retention policies, Scinto said the city evaluated other cities’ practices and determined the footage would be available for 14 days per state guidelines. But if the police use the images, the availability will change in at least six months.

Implementation will begin in November and be completed by the end of fiscal year 2025.

Reach the reporter [email protected] or by phone at 480-259-8545. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @AlexandraHardle.