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This Page is Culver City Documents - Set # 7

New 10-7-03:
The Contract

On Oct. 2, 2003 I received from the city clerk a certified copy of the contract between Culver City and its red light camera vendor Traffic Safety Systems, a subsidiary of Redflex.  The contract was effective as of Mar. 28, 2002.  Here are some excerpts.


From page 1:
"WHEREAS, the... system... has successfully decreased accidents by 46% at the Culver City intersections equipped with the Systems;"

From page 2:
"At intersections where the Systems are installed, Traffic Safety shall insure that yellow change intervals are maintained in accordance with accepted traffic engineering and safety standards as set forth by the California Department of Transportation Traffic Manual..."  (Emphasis added.)

"Traffic Safety shall... operate the existing seven (7) Systems, consisting of fifteen (15) approaches, at the traffic intersections chosen and approved by the Police Chief, (specifically, at the intersections of Washington and La Cienega; Green Valley Circle and Sepulveda; Machado and Jefferson (sic); Washington and Beethoven; Duquesne and Jefferson; Slauson and Buckingham; and Cota and Jefferson), and shall securely install... at least ten (10) additional Systems at not less than four (4) traffic intersections to be selected by the Police Chief."  [Editor's note - daffynitions of terms:  While the contract doesn't define the term, an "approach" is believed to consist of enforcement against traffic moving just one way on just one of the intersecting streets at an intersection.  Thus, a typical intersection could have up to four approaches, although most in Culver City just have two.  The meaning of the term "Systems" is unclear - sometimes it has been used to mean the same as "intersection" while at other points in the contract it seems to be used as a synonym for "approach."] 

"The agreement shall continue... five (5) years after the effective date...."

"All Systems... shall remain at all times the exclusive property of Traffic Safety."

From page 4:
" ...Traffic Safety shall receive... for each fine... successfully collected... $40.00...."

"In addition to the Per-Citation Payment, City shall pay a monthly fee of $2347.10 for each functioning approach...."  [Editor's note:  Also see "Missing from the contract," below.]

From page 5:
"Appeals.  In the event  the System... or the citations themselves... are... contested in the appellate division of any court....  Traffic Safety shall pay 50% of any and all reasonable costs..."

From page 8:
"Product Ownership.  The documentation, reports, and work materials prepared by Traffic Safety for the City... including... all data... shall be and shall remain the property of City."

From page 12:
"...Traffic Safety will provide.... The technology... to include the cameras, radar, flash and computers...."

From page 13:
"...Traffic Safety will provide.... Statistical recap and recapture ratios on a weekly basis."

Missing from the contract:
While the city has obligated itself to pay Traffic Safety $56,330.40 annually, or $281,652.00 over the 5-year contract term (see page 4, above), for a typical (two-approach) intersection, the contract doesn't specify a procedure whereby the city can request the removal of a camera that is a poor producer of tickets.  (In 2002, the City kept $80.00 per conviction, so needed two convictions per day per typical intersection in order to break even.  By 2004 the City's share had risen to approximately $111 - see FAQ #16 - so it needed 1.4 convictions per day.)