KNOXVILLE WANTS TO INSTALL RED-LIGHT CAMERAS, but it’s decided to keep the details of the contract secret:

City administration officials released a revised policy Friday for withholding information related to the selection of a company to install and operate cameras to catch red-light-running drivers. A city evaluation committee has selected Reflex Traffic Systems for exclusive negotiations, and the Knoxville Police Department expects to present a contract for City Council members’ consideration at their Aug. 16 meeting.

Hmm. I’m suspicious. Is this one of those deals where the cameras are operated by the contractor, and the contractor gets a cut of ticket proceeds? That provides an incentive to cheat, as has happened elsewhere. (Via Michael Silence).

UPDATE: Reader Allen Cogbill emails:

As you likely know, there is a distinct incentive to cheat, both for the company operating the system and the city, the latter due to “revenue enhancement”. Often in such situations, the orange-light period is shortened, increasing the likelihood that someone will run the red light. This is particularly bad, as it is fairly well-known that longer orange-light intervals (up to a point, of course) decrease accidents.

Yes, and that’s happened in quite a few places. This is all about revenues, of course, and not about safety.