It seems almost universal that Red-Light Cameras are installed without a concerted Engineering effort to find other, less obtrusive solutions for improving intersection safety. Why does Enforcement so often trump Engineering, when an Engineering solution would work at a much lower cost to society? This article will illuminate reasons why municipalities frequently place the cart before the horse. It will also outline the process recommended by the Federal Highway Administration and the Institute of Transportation Engineers for improving safety at intersections with traffic signals. View this excellent article here
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At the recent Secret City Festival in Oak Ridge, the TLA provided information to the public about various local and state issues, and concerns, including information on the red light camera issue that has been given so much attention recently.
Also, thanks to the TLA, hundreds of Secret City Festival goers are no longer politically homeless. TLA volunteers used the World's Smallest Political Quiz to help an estimated 200 people find their true place on the political map. The Quiz also acted as a catalyst to discuss important issues facing our nation and local communities.
In addition to taking the quiz, dozens of concerned citizens signed a TLA petition opposing the city council's plan to install red light cameras, as well as a petition calling for the creation of a charter commission to study adding district representation to the Oak Ridge city council.
Congratulations and thanks to the TLA volunteers, especially organizer Fred Childress, who made this event such a great success.
Twenty-five percent of small cities in the country have District/At-large City Councils with a balance between council members who truly represent a particular district of the community and those who represent the entire city.
Oak Ridgers deserve a study of this kind of government which could be provided by a Charter Commission in public hearings. CDAR (Citizens for Direct/At-large Elections) has initiated a petition drive to help make this a possibility. Petitions are available for your signing at the the Gourmet Cafe and Clark's Copy Service.
For more information, click here.
The placebo effect has been known for ages. It's power is recognized by those practicing medicine and those developing medicines. Pharmaceutical studies incorporate this placebo effect when determining the efficacy of a medicine as compared to that of a known placebo. A product is deemed useless, or ineffective, if it does not improve upon the effect of a known placebo and subsequently never reaches market (or at least it shouldn't--but that is a story for a different day!)
Dale Gedcke, Ph.D. has written and submits a very complete and interesting paper regarding the placebo effect as it relates to the red light camera debacle. Have you wondered why, if the evidence is so much against the efficacy of red-light cameras, it continues to be pushed forward as a "cure-all" for our traffic problems? Give this paper a good read and you may find your questions answered. You can view this paper by clicking here.
At the real public meeting sponsored by the Tennessee Liberty Alliance on May 15th, two outstanding presentations were given by our guest speakers. These presentations provide valuable information and references for further research regarding this hot topic.
Dale Gedcke, Ph.D, outlined very thoroughly many inconsistencies in his presentation entitled, Red Light Cameras: The Good, The Bad, and the Uncertain. This is a must see presentation.