Map of the US National Highway System

Does a state, city or municipality have a the legal right to use a Federal highway for speed or red light cameras? If yes does the federal government share in the revenue generated from the cameras? What permits or permissions from what federal agencies are required?

Despite the Interstate or US highway label it is probably owned by the state or city and not the Federal government. In order to use the cameras the State legislature would have to enact legislation describing how and where photo enforcement could be used. Only rarely do these roads typically belong to the federal government and these roads are on military sites, national parks and perhaps Indian reservations.

Google Maps users deserve red light cameras and speed cameras as a layer for navigation. We have a database of 7,000 cameras we have been accumulating for the last 10 years. We have tried numerous times to reach out to Google and provide this data to them for use on Google Maps without any success.When we first started collecting the data 10 years ago there were only a few hundred cameras in use across the US. Now there are about 7,000 intersections and locations that are under photo enforcement surveillance.  Contrast that to Europe that has 50,000 cameras and most of them are speed cameras. The majority of the cameras in the US are red light cameras and not speed cameras like the Europe.

Every time we talk to large companies who want to use the data  in the US they seem worried about the legality of using the data. They ask questions like:  Is it legal to use this information? What happens if a driver gets into an accident after using the information while driving?   I am not sure I understand their concerns considering people are not trying to evade the law by using the data.  Drivers simply want to know where these locations are to avoid fender bender collisions.  People drive erratically around photo enforced locations and the residual effect are typically small accidents instead of t-bones.

Anyhow, a new user interface for Google Maps layers is being tested. The new UI enlarges the buttons that let you switch views between content layers. Now you can quickly switch between custom maps, driving directions, local search results and Google Maps layers. Google Maps also shows the weather for the current location. Its very useful and its about time they start putting some content on the map that helps people drive safely.

No, and its illegal since it is considered defacing your licence plate or in some states defacing government property. This photo blocking spray is just gimmick. The cameras will always catch you, no matter what you spray or cover on your license plate. Watch this video for a demonstration of the product as a scam.  See this previous story on plate blocker does not work. 

Albuquerque, New Mexico wants to keep the cameras operating but needs a new company to run the cameras.  The cameras will go dark at midnight temporarily and will not site motorists for speed violations during this period.  The city is looking for a new red light camera operator as it recently let the contract with Redflex expire. The cameras were operating on a $30,000 per month deficit. Its not surprising the camera contracts needed to be restructured.  Here is a photo above protesting use of Redflex as a management company and encouraging the hiring of more policemen.  Seems like a worthy proposal in our recession. The city also said it wants to now operate the cameras with full public disclosure.  Why start now?

Also, here is a study that shows how the Albuquerque cameras actually Increased Accidents. 

See this new video below covering the story from KRQE News 13 and some words from the Mayor. 

Up to 50 intersection in Rochester, New York will eventually be equipped with Red Light Cameras. Cameras are now up at the first three intersections in an attempt to catch drivers running red lights. They include State and Jay Streets, Alexander and Broadway and North Street and Clifford Avenue.

The cameras will capture still and video images of vehicles in the act of a red-light violation, which will initiate the procedure to deliver a Notice of Liability, to the registered owner of the vehicle. The violation is a civil matter and will not be reported to insurance companies or generate points on a driver’s license.

Evidence captured by the Red Light Cameras will be reviewed by the Rochester Police Department before the Notice of Liability is delivered in the mail. Vehicle owners are responsible for violations by operators of their vehicle. Vehicle owners will have an opportunity to appeal the Notice or pay the fine. The civil violation carries an initial $50 fine. If the initial fine is not paid within 30 days an additional penalty of $25 will be assessed.

The program will begin with a 15 day warning period, when warning letters will be sent.
The cameras operate 24 hours a day and capture still photographs and video of every vehicle that runs a red light at the intersection. Cameras photograph only the vehicle and the license plate of vehicles running the red lights. No images of the driver or passengers are captured. Each set of images of a red light violation are reviewed and approved by the Rochester Police Department before a Notice of Liability is mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle.  Pay Rochester tickets here

Here is a scare tactic video and a demonstration of how the cameras work.

Shares in Redflex Holdings (ASX:RDF) have jumped 6.4% since the company revealed it may receive a takeover bid higher than the $2.50 per share informally offered by a Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) unit.  It was reported back in June that it was looking to take over Redflex for $275M and that is when the ASX: RDF shares were trading around $2 per share.  If our calculations are correct the takeover bid should be just under $340M now.

From an opening price of $2.36, RDF shares closed the day's trading 8.5% higher at $2.55. Redflex's range of point-to-point cameras on the Hume Highway was taken offline this week after it was revealed they had incorrectly reported traffic infringements on nine occasions. The problem occurred as a result of cameras briefly falling out of synch with each other, and while Redflex has devised a solution the devices will need to be thoroughly tested until police are willing to turn them back on.

The red light photo enforcement technology company said in a statement that it had received indicative offers from “a number of credible parties” for over $2.50 per share. Redflex has entered discussions with a short list of these parties, including due diligence proceedings.   But the offers made are so far non-binding, and there can be no assurance that any of the talks will result in a formal proposal, the statement read. Even the Macquarie Group unit's offer, made in August, was non-binding. Redflex had advised shareholders to take no action on the proposal.

Macquarie Group is a global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services. Macquarie’s main business focus is making returns by providing a diversified range of services to clients. Macquarie acts on behalf of institutional, corporate and retail clients and counterparties around the world. Founded in 1969, Macquarie employs more than 14,600 people in approximately 70 office locations in 28 countries

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Redflex Takeover Bid for $275M

We have publicly posted our PhotoEnforced.com visitor traffic and demographic stats for the last 5 years from Quantcast since 2007 and our traffic is growing.  As you you can see California is almost 1/3 of the monthly traffic followed by Illinois, Texas, New York and Florida.  We publish this data so advertisers including lawyers and mobile app companies can find us amongst the noise of web site publishers.  No we don't have a mobile app but will to partner with someone who wants to leverage our traffic and license our data.  

Still No TomTom Red Light Camera US POI Database Available

Here is an email I received from TomTom today posing the following question:  Is there a US photo enforced locations database is available on your navigation devices?  The answer was NO.  Read below. 

"Thank you for taking the time to contact TomTom Customer Support. My name is Amanda and we are always happy to help. I understand that you would like to know if US photo enforced locations database is available for developers. We understand your concern, please be assured I will do my best to answer your query. I would like to inform you that, US photo enforced locations database is currently unavailable for US developers. I regret for the inconvenience caused. We value your suggestions for improvements to our products and services. Suggestions are gathered and organized to understand the areas our customers are most interested in enhancing. Our Product Managers review all feedback to determine future enhancements and products. Many of our current products and updates offer features based on customer suggestions. We certainly value our esteemed customers like you."

The fact that no US photo enforced database is available is amazing considering PhotoEnforced.com started to receive interest from TomTom back in 2005 about licensing our database.  TomTom is known for trying to do everything themselves and that results in garbage in and garbage out.  The photo enforcement notification business is big for TomTom in Europe and probably a multiple million dollar business for them.  Why haven't they been able to get it going in the US with their mapping partner TeleAtlas?

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Garmin Red Light Camera Database is Crap
TomTom Red Light Camera Database is Crap

I am continually amazed how companies who sell radar detectors and our red light camera database competitors claim to have a more comprehensive database than we do.  PhotoEnforced.com was the first US company to start sourcing this data back in 2000 and our next competitor did not come onto the market until 2005.  How do they do it?  Well, they copied our free database online and started adding to it and selling it as their own proprietary database.  Simply ask the next time you want to license Trinity's database when they got started collecting the data and how they did it.  You probably won't get a straight answer because they will never admit that they stole information from PhotoEnforced.com.  Photoenforced.com has 7,000 - 8,000 locations in our database as of today and its growing everyday.  We also have removed hundreds of locations from our database that are inactive or not accurate.  What other competitor can claim they have a comparable database that is free?

I have asked several of these companies including to do a public "bake off" comparing the number of locations in their database.  Still no one wants to compete with crowdsourcing or user generated content because our competitors say they get too many false positives.   Here is what Trinity claims on their web site. Trinity is more accurate and complete than other databases because our team gathers more data than anyone else, to give you the most detailed alerts on the market.  In addition to the camera locations themselves, we plot:

• the camera type
• directional vectors
• speed limits (where applicable)
• ticket directions
• “no ticket” directions

When it comes to camera location data, accuracy is key. One of the reasons why Cheetah detectors are better than others, is that our proprietary database is 100% verified by Cheetah’s professional database team, which monitors all media and internet channels as well as communicating directly with police departments, city traffic engineers, city records, Municipal Codes of Ordinances, traffic bureaus, state transportation agencies, our own network of trusted camera spotters and field survey teams.

Why doesn't Trinity publish the of locations in the database?

Here is a response from Trinity on their Facebook page. Comparing number of locations won't give an accurate measure of the quality of the Trinity 2.0 database compared to other databases. For example, some other companies actively promote they have camera numbers into the millions, which would lead to extensive numbers of false alerts. We take great care to verify our camera locations are accurate and update regularly.

PhotoEnforced.com Response

Photoenforced.com started collecting the 10 years ago and have cameras in 1200 markets. Its impossible to gather the data without crowdsourcing. I agree that verification is important but that is why we have 2000+ people per day coming to PhotoEnforced.com and using the database. Not even Google or Navteq with all its resources can verify locations. Its a false claim and your database will always be behind the curve.

Here is some new technology that allows cellphones to be used as navigation devices in cars, putting more pressure on the makers of in-car satnav systems. German car industry group Consumer Electronics for Automotive (CE4A) unveiled a standard for the technology, which is being pushed by Nokia, the world's largest cellphone maker.

The personal navigation device (PND) industry, led by TomTom and Garmin, has been hit badly by competition from Google Maps navigation-enabled smartphones. When the new "terminal mode" standard is included in cars -- likely starting next year -- it enables consumers to plug a wire to their smartphones in the car and without any additional setup issues to use navigation or other features of their phones directly from a screen built into the car.

Consumer adoption will however take time, industry players and analysts say. "Immediate impact of this is limited, but if you get a credible, good enough experience from the phone navigation in the car -- it removes the need to have any PND," said Tim Shepherd, analyst with research firm Canalys. Navteq, the world's largest digital mapping firm, said it was seeing interest in the new technology across the industry. "We have seen a lot of interest in terminal mode from system vendors and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers)," Navteq's Chief Executive Larry Kaplan told Reuters in a recent interview.

 NAVTEQ would rather drive test and send expensive bodies out to verify. Example given: What if you looked at a map and it had a hotel listed 3 times. They dont get it and fear changing their old school ways. This cost structure is inneficiant as filters like PhotoEnforced.com get better for curating data. Nokia is the largest consumer based phone company yet the company has no intension of leveraging this footprint to capture data. Wow, this is a major management oversight and may soon be the demise of a Nokia and Navteq divorce. There just isnt any synergy or cross platform collaboration.

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NAVTEQ wants to become a media company but has no intentions of selling directly to consumers. I scratch my head hearing the contradiction? I was at the Navteq Connections Conference today and heard some contradictions in strategy and customer focus. As long as they continue to have a developer centric approach they will continue to fall behind.  Developers need a platform that has wide adoption like Android.  I am not sure that just a platform encourages developers to use it without some unique content.

Google Maps realizes its about unique content and Navteq is far from a media company.  Media companies are all about unique content creation similar to what it had Traffic.com.   However, it seems to want to morph this organization into an ad network. What's missing to become a media company? Content and eyeball creation.  Navteq needs to take a more aggressive stance in the online publishing world if they truly want to become a media company.  They should be buying companies like PhotoEnforced.com and GasBuddy.com and provide proprietary content for its customers. Navteq seems content trying to court the large automotive car companies like Ford who are 5 years behind in the content business from smart phones.