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CC - PUBLIC HEARING ITEM: Approval of a Five-Year Agreement with Verra Mobility, to Provide Automated Red Light Camera Enforcement Equipment and Services in an Amount Not-to-Exceed $4,554,000.
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Meeting Date: September 23, 2024
Contact Person/Dept.: Lieutenant Eden Robertson/ Police Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-6109
Fiscal Impact: Yes [X] No [] General Fund: Yes [X] No []
Attachments: Yes [X] No []
Public Notification: (E-Mail) Meetings and Agendas - Culver City News (08/29/2024, 09/05/2024, 09/12/2024 and 09/19/2024); City Council (09/17/2024)
Department Approval: Jason Sims, Police Chief (07/23/2024) _____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the City Council conduct a public hearing and approve a five-year agreement with Verra Mobility, in an amount not-to-exceed $4,554,000.
PROCEDURE:
1. Mayor seeks a motion to receive and file the affidavit for publishing a legal notice.
2. Mayor requests a brief staff report and City Council poses questions to staff as desired.
3. Mayor opens public hearing and invites public comments.
4. Mayor seeks a motion to close the public hearing.
5. Based on public comment and staff research, City Council discusses the proposed recommendation and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND
The City’s automated enforcement program, using red light cameras to capture violators as they drive their vehicles through an intersection after the traffic signal has turned red (“Automated Enforcement Program”), began in 1998, with the first intersection at Washington Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard. California Vehicle Code section 21455.5 authorizes governmental agencies to utilize automated enforcement equipment at intersections and other locations within a municipality if certain conditions are met. The City’s Automated Enforcement Program is operated and managed by the Administrations Bureau of the Culver City Police Department (“CCPD”) and is currently in place at 12 intersections comprising 20 approaches.
In June 2024, a Request for Proposals (“RFP”) was published to solicit responses from qualified red light camera enforcement companies. The City received two proposals in response to the RFP. After reviewing the proposals submitted, staff determined Verra Mobility would best meet the needs of the City’s Automated Enforcement Program based on the quality of the equipment, minimal, if any, impact on traffic flow due to upgrades to the system, and the lowest proposed cost. Verra Mobility continues to provide excellent red light camera services and support to the City’s Automated Enforcement Program.
Pursuant to Vehicle Code Section 21455.6, the City is required to hold a public hearing before installing a red-light camera system at an intersection and entering into a contract with a red light camera vendor.
DISCUSSION
Throughout the 25 years since the City’s Automated Enforcement Program began, CCPD has maintained administrative and enforcement competencies which have assured a high degree of effectiveness. Improving traffic safety has been a fundamental element of the City’s Automated Enforcement Program since its inception.
Culver City, like other Westside cities, has experienced rapid and significant increases in the number of vehicles that travel its streets. This includes those intersection approaches monitored by the Automated Enforcement Program. The resulting traffic volume induced congestion has highlighted the ongoing need to maintain efforts to help avert red light runners and potentially prevent traffic collisions.
CCPD staff have found the Automated Enforcement Program to be successful at reducing the number of drivers running red lights and a major factor in reducing accidents associated with running red lights. The public benefit received by the community is rooted mostly in the prevention and reduction of injury related collisions.
Traffic Safety
Intersections throughout the City with photo enforcement equipment installed prior to 2017 have not experienced a significant increase in red light related traffic collisions. They have remained steady with a combined average of 0-4 total collisions for all photo enforced intersections.
The three newest intersections were installed in March 2017, and include intersections along Washington Boulevard at National Boulevard, Overland Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard. These intersections, since becoming photo enforced, have experienced a decrease in red light related traffic collisions.
From March 2016 to March 2017, the Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue intersection had two accidents that were red light related, the Washington Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard intersection had three red light related collisions, and the Washington Boulevard and National Boulevard intersection tallied zero red light related collisions.
Since becoming operational in March 2017, Washington Boulevard and Overland Avenue has experienced three red light related collisions, and the Washington Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard intersection and Washington Boulevard and National Boulevard intersections have each experienced one collision caused by a red-light violation.
In a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (“IIHS”), researchers found that red light running traffic collisions caused 1,149 deaths and 107,000 injuries in 2022. More than half of those killed were pedestrians, bicyclists, or occupants of vehicles struck by the red-light violating vehicle. This number of deaths was a 41.7% increase from the 811 people killed in red-light related crashes in 2016.
Red light cameras deter red light violations and, although uniformed police officers help, there are not enough officers to post at every intersection where there is a camera installed. Red light cameras work to fill this void. Red light cameras are an ideal countermeasure that deter red light violations, as the public is aware of a high likelihood of being held accountable for violating the law by failing to stop at a red light.
Another Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study compared large cities with red light cameras to those without found the devices reduced the fatal red light running crash rate by 21% and the rate of all types of fatal crashes at signalized intersections by 14%.
Red Light Violations
In March 2017, the three newest photo enforced intersections along Washington Boulevard (at National Boulevard, Overland Avenue and Sepulveda Boulevard) were installed and operational.
During their first year of operation (March 2017 to March 2018), motorists committed the following number of red-light violations:
- Washington Boulevard/National Boulevard: 3,654
- Washington Boulevard/Overland Avenue: 6,896
- Washington Boulevard/Sepulveda Boulevard: 3,289
Total Violations: 13,839
Total Issued Citations (2017): 45,910
Total Potential Violation Volume (2017): 93,201
In subsequent years, motorists committed the following number of red-light violations at these intersections (2020 was removed due to the COVID-19 pandemic)
Between 2017 and 2023, after red light cameras were installed at these intersections, there was a 12.6% decrease in red light violations despite a 33.7% potential violation volume increase.
Conclusion
Based on the aforementioned information, staff believes it would be beneficial to the community to continue to utilize photo enforcement equipment to enforce traffic safety laws, deter motorists from running red lights, decrease traffic collisions, and maintain vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian safety at and around these intersections.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
The Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 includes $910,800 for the Automated Red Light Enforcement contract in Account No. 1014000.619800 (Operating Bureaus - Other Contractual Services). This account can be found in the Police Services section of the budget book under Operating Bureaus operating and maintenance expenditures. The proposed agreement of $910,800 per year will be effective August 29, 2024. The funding for future years of this agreement will be requested during the annual budget process.
ATTACHMENTS
1. 2024-08-25 - ATT Notice of Public Hearing
MOTIONS
That the City Council:
1. Approve a five-year agreement with Verra Mobility to provide photo enforcement services in an amount not-to-exceed $4,554,000; and
2. Authorize the City Attorney to review/prepare the necessary documents; and
3. Authorize the City Manager to execute such documents on behalf of the City.