Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/17/1734.asp

5/4/2007

New Mexico: Freeway Speed Cameras Coming
Albuquerque, New Mexico follows the lead of Scottsdale, Arizona and plans to install lucrative freeway speed cameras.

Albuquerque, New Mexico is looking to boost revenue by expanding speed camera use to interstate highways. Already, federal and state grant money has begun funding a conventional police patrol program that issues expensive tickets in a "crackdown" that began April 4. Just one unit of the city police issued 1198 citations during the period.

Mayor Martin J. Chavez announced yesterday that permanent speed cameras and roving photo radar vans would soon begin ticketing motorists who pass through on Interstates 40 or 25. The city's camera ticket program has already generated 89,000 tickets on city streets worth at least $13 million. The bipartisan leadership of the state Senate in March asked the attorney general to investigate allegations of illegal lobbying on the part of Chavez and red light vendor Redflex.

According to the city budget, Albuquerque has faced a significant deficit since 2005. The city adopted a number of revenue raising plans, including a large sales tax increase, to fill the $10.1 million budget gap.

Source: Freeway drivers: Chill or pay (KRQE-TV (NM), 5/3/2007)

Permanent Link for this item
Return to Front Page