SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Video recording ordinances get yellow light

By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
    The Township Council is going to introduce an ordinance setting up a traffic light camera at a Route 1 intersection while discarding a proposed law requiring new businesses to set up video cameras outside their establishments.
    “Many new businesses are doing it anyway,” Deputy Mayor Chris Killmurray said. “I’m not too excited either way.”
    Councilman Charles Carley, who initially brought the matters up for discussion last year, was absent from Tuesday night’s meeting, but met with Mayor Frank Gambatese earlier in the day to tell him that he will go with what the council decides.
    “I think it’s Big Brother,” Councilman John O’Sullivan said, continuing his opposition to placing cameras outside of new businesss. “It is an unfunded mandate.”
   ýPage=001 Column=001 OK,0000.07þ O’Sullivan also said he was concerned that there may not be enough police manpower to help businesss figure out where to put the cameras and to enforce the ordinance.
    “We looked into it,” Councilman Joe Camarota said. “It’s a dead issue, time to move on.”
    While mandated video surveilence in the parking lots may be tabled, a proposal to put cameras on traffic lights may move forward.
    Township spokesman Ron Schmalz said the township is approved for a state pilot program which would place cameras on traffic lights on Route 1.
    According to Mr. Schmalz, motorists running the red light at the intersection would have a picture taken of the vehicle and license plate.
    The footage would be reviewed by a third party company and reviewed by local police before a ticket would be issued to the driver.
    The discussion during the Feb. 8 ýPage=001 Column=002 OK,0015.07þ meeting was determining whether to change the spot where the camera will be located.
    The spot that was originally proposed in 2008 was at the Henderson and Route 1 intersection, Mr. Schmalz said.
    After studying accident trends, it was discovered that the intersection of Route 1 and 522, including by Promenade Boulevard, has more accidents that have injuries, Mr. Schmalz said.
    The other intersections looked at were Route 1 and Ridge Road. and Route 1 and Blackhorse, Mr. Schmalz said.
    In 2010, there were 38 accidents on Ridge Road and Route 1 that resulted in four injuries, 20 accidents at Blackhorse and Route 1 that resulted in three injuries, at Henderson and Route 1 there were 37 accidents that resulted in seven injuries, and at Route 522 and Route 1, including Promenade Blvd, there were 72 accidents and 10 injuries, Mr. Schmalz said.
   ýPage=001 Column=003 OK,0000.00þ The council will vote on the proposed ordinance once it is determined if the state will allow the location of the camera to change, according to Mayor Frank Gambatese.
    The state needs the township to approve the ordinance and begin to get bids for a vendor to install the cameras before a state deadline, Mr. Schmalz said.
    “It’s a good idea to push to get the right intersection covered,” Mr. O’Sullivan said.
    The issue will come up for introduction later this month or early next month.
    Residents shopping at South Brunswick Square Mall on Route 1 in Monmouth Junction Monday were split on the issue.
    “It’s not going to do any good,” John Dunn, 72, of Kingston, said about the proposed traffic light cameras.
    People may obey traffic signals ýPage=001 Column=004 OK,0015.07þ if they see cameras, but it is whether or not the laws are enforced, and if people become aware of their enforcement, Mr. Dunn said.
    The way things are, it will probably be “another waste of taxpayer money,” Mr. Dunn said.
    Once tickets are passed out, the laws will be obeyed, Mr. Dunn said.
    Speeding is a bigger issue than people running red lights, Jeff Rummel, 52, of Princeton Walk, said.
    Speeding and running red lights “go hand in hand,” he said.
    There is also a lot of dangerous truck traffic as well, Mr. Rummel said.
    “I have no problem with that,” Mr. Rummel said about the proposed traffic light cameras. He also suggested the township use cameras to check speeding, and also use more speed traps.