Cameras at intersections aren't what they seem

Contrary to what some believe, the cameras sprouting up at more and more intersections in Carson City aren't designed to spy on residents.

Nor are they being installed to spot violations and automatically issue traffic tickets.

According to Carson City Transportation Manager Patrick Pittenger, they're actually part of a vehicle sensor system designed to improve traffic flow through busy intersections.

"Those are sensors that detect the presence of vehicles," Pittenger said.

He said, for example, the sensor will detect a vehicle in the left turn lane and turn on the turn arrow.

"If there's no vehicle detected, you don't get the arrow."

Pittenger agreed the cameras look like surveillance equipment and that a number of drivers are suspicious of them, believing they are just another step toward a Big Brother government watching everyone.

He said they aren't.

"There is no camera taking a picture of anybody. There's no radar gun built into that thing," he said.

In fact, he said no recording is made of what the camera sees, that it's only used to adjust the signal timing at that intersection.

It's a new version of the older detector cables buried in the pavement, which sense a car magnetically. Carson City has installed the devices at about 50 intersections at a cost of about $20,000 per intersection for the sensors and control box.

Pittenger said when he worked in Mesa, Ariz., they did use red light cameras, which recorded vehicles failing to stop or speeding and issued the cars' owners a ticket.

"It's not legal in the state of Nevada," he said. "We couldn't do that if we wanted to."

In Nevada, police agencies have tried three consecutive legislative sessions to get the law changed to permit red light cameras. It has been blocked every time by lawmakers who say it's less a safety issue than a revenue generator and has the potential for abuse.

In Nevada, there are cameras that are monitored in several places in Clark County. Those devices are designed to help with the flow of traffic, not to issue tickets.

Pittenger said the cameras in Carson City aren't even attached to any central office where they could be monitored.

He said the only monitoring equipment Carson City has is installed in its buses.

"We actually have cameras in all the buses that do record all the time and we do save if we ever have an incident," he said.

In addition, the buses all have GPS monitors that can tell him exactly where each is at any time and how fast it is moving. The cameras and GPS devices were installed to protect the city and the bus passengers in case something happens on a bus.

Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.