PDF: Dayton blvd traffic counts PDF: Tax revenue by source
Red Bank officials credit a decline in traffic camera fines to sending the community a strong message about safe driving, but several economic indicators point to a different conclusion.
Mayor Joe Glasscock said last week that “it tickles me to death we’re not getting more revenue” from the city’s efforts to electronically enforce speed limit and red light laws. Decreased camera revenue supports the argument that Red Bank has done its “educational job” with photo enforcement, he said.
But in the four years since the city’s three traffic camera sets were installed, Red Bank’s daily vehicle counts have declined and sales tax collections have fluctuated, records show. Those trends have commissioners wondering if fewer tickets mean more people avoiding Red Bank.
“If it was such a great deal, why don’t Signal Mountain, East Ridge and Collegedale have them?” asked Vice Mayor Monty Millard. “They want people to shop in their businesses and feel comfortable coming into their town.”