Monday, October 11, 2010

? overly sensitive red-light camera at 1st & Rhode Island Avenue NW ?

From ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:

OVERLY SENSITIVE RED-LIGHT CAMERA AT 1ST & RHODE ISLAND NW?

I have received a complaint that the red-light camera at 1st & Rhode Island NW has gone off even when people are just making the legal right turn on red as they are traveling west on Rhode Island Avenue NW. Clearly, we have to get that fixed. But before I approach DDOT and DMV, I am checking with you to find out if others have had this problem. If indeed many people have been inappropriately ticketed, that information will bolster my case for quick action on the part of these agencies. If you have received a ticket for turning right on red or feel you have received any other type of ticket at that intersection that you feel was wrong, please write me and let me know the details.

Thanks and have a great day.
John

--
John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
(202) 986- 2592
John.Salatti@gmail.com
``Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale``

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure about that light, but most have a video recording of the infraction. Also, for right-on-red, you must come to a complete stop before going right. I was fighting a speeding ticket and saw a lady's red-light ticket get upheld when she didn't come to a complete stop, but just rolled through the right turn

ellen. said...

It's gone off when cabs or other cars make the u turn too. It goes off so randomly and should definitely be looked at. Surprised it's gone on for this long.

Anonymous said...

As a pedestrian, I've seen the flash for that camera go off when there are no cars in the intersection at all. It seems to flash as soon as the light turns red on Rhode Island Ave.

Anonymous said...

i was told by a traffic cop that it's illegal to make a u-turn when there is a median.

RI ave resident said...

I think it automatically goes off every time the light turns red. Incredibly annoying. It feels like there is a lightning storm 24 hours a day from the flash for the houses along RI ave between 2nd and 1st.

Anonymous said...

I second the comment of RI ave resident! We just moved to 1st and RI, and as we haven't yet had a chance to put blinds up we see this camera flash in our window about once every two minutes. Definitely broken and needs to be checked out. Thanks for being attentive to this!
-Arli

Ryan Eades said...

We're on the 100 block of RI Ave NW (next to Arli actually) and that thing flashes constantly for no reason whatsoever. We're used to it, but it's still pretty annoying and clearly NOT working properly. It would only take a DDOT employee, or whoever is responsible for it, an hour or two of observing it to see how horribly awry this camera is!

Anonymous said...

we are across from the light, it goes off constantly and is super bright. It seems to go off for no apparent reason.

S. Howard said...

I recieved a ticket in the mail last month for making a right from Rhode Island onto First St. I wrote to DMV in my defense denying the violation and included photos of the corner which does not display a "No Turn on Red" sign. It's only been approx. 2 weeks but I have yet to hear back from Adjudication. In speaking to other neighbors I know of one more person who received a ticket.

TheCommiss said...

I also got one a while back and sent it in and I contacted DOT a few months back about it. It seems it's still an issue, although I did check a few weeks after and seemed not to be happening. My ticket showed the car in the first photo but not in the second. It was dismissed without an issue by mailing it to Adjudication.

Anonymous said...

It's just another going green project for DC gov. The green from our pockets.

Scott Roberts of Bloomingdale said...

Posting the comment from a Seaton Place NW resident:

While walking across Rhode Island Ave, NW on First Street, on two separate occasions I have seen cars get "dinged" by the red light camera
while making right turns from westbound Rhode Island onto northbound First Street. Both cars had been fully stopped before turning right.

a. simps. said...

i got a $150 ticket for turning right onto 1st!

yawper said...

I knew I remembered this old thread; I just got a $150 ticket for making a legal right turn on red from Rhode Island onto First. So it's still an issue almost three years later!