Calgary, Alberta, to Curb Traffic Light Violations and Collisions with Red Light Camera Enforcement; TransCore Inc. Awarded Contract.

Business & High Tech Editors

HARRISBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 14, 2000

The Canadian city of Calgary, Alberta, responds to demands for increased safety by deploying red light camera enforcement to reduce incidents of red light running, decrease traffic collisions and improve motorists' and pedestrians' safety. TransCore Inc. has been awarded an exclusive contract to supply AutoPatrol(R) RL-200 red light cameras for use at eight (8) major traffic light intersections across the city. Cameras will be operational in February 2001.

This initiative is Calgary's first red light camera program, implemented in response to the rising number of what are termed "right angle, red light collisions" that have occurred over the last several years. In 1999, there were 1,058 such collisions, four involving fatalities, 231 involving injuries, and 619 involving property damage. According to the Calgary Police Service, in the past three years collisions in Calgary have gone down. However, there is concern that collisions caused by red light running have not followed the trend. Because of this, the city has decided to make an initial investment of more than $500,000 and begin deploying the video enforcement technology.

Red light camera enforcement systems are known to decrease red light running and thus the number and severity of accidents caused by these violations. Calgary officials looked at red light camera systems in several Canadian cities including Edmonton, Alberta, and Vancouver, British Columbia, and were impressed by their effectiveness. In Edmonton, cameras have reduced red light running by as much as 50 percent.

TransCore will permanently install TransCore's AutoPatrol line of cameras at the selected intersections. Calgary traffic engineers have identified those intersections as the ones with the highest number of right angle, red light collisions. Eventually the city plans to have 24 cameras in a rotation system to cover 84 intersections. The cameras are housed in permanent enclosures, and each enclosure appears identical - whether it is actually equipped with a camera or not - in order to maximize motorist awareness and traffic signal compliance.

Because of the safety benefits, red light camera systems have received strong public support in the communities in which they have been adopted. Scottsdale, Ariz., conducted a poll in 1999 that revealed 78 percent of motorists who responded on the matter supported red light cameras and photo radar. Scottsdale saw a 62 percent reduction in traffic light violations in the first 12 months after red light cameras were deployed there in 1997.

"Citizens understand the benefits of camera enforcement once they recognize the direct connection between traffic light violations and accidents," said Calgary Police Service Sergeant Kerry Palyga. "These systems save lives and protect property. They also allow police departments to allocate resources to more important duties, such as drunk driving enforcement or neighborhood patrols."

AutoPatrol cameras were originally developed by American Traffic Systems, a company TransCore acquired this summer to enhance its leadership in the automated enforcement market. The cameras typically are placed at intersections known to have a high occurrence of accidents. When the traffic light turns red, the camera's proprietary vehicle detector becomes active. Any vehicle that crosses into the intersection is detected and the camera captures two images of the violation. The first image shows the vehicle behind the violation line on a red light and the second image proves that the vehicle and driver continued through the intersection. Images of the vehicle and license plate are also captured. AutoPatrol cameras offer the highest prosecutable image rate, patented detection technology, and the most robust system on the market.

"Driver behavior is almost immediately modified once such technology is installed, critically improving safety for pedestrians and motorists," said John Worthington, TransCore Inc. president and CEO.

Sergeant Palyga said officials were convinced by the sophisticated technology of the AutoPatrol camera, as well as the cost-saving design, which does not require a separate flash unit on a separate pole. Also an important factor was that the AutoPatrol camera, with an 80mm lens, ensures positive identification of target vehicles in four lanes of traffic headed in either direction.

About TransCore

TransCore, a privately held, $230 million company with installations in 37 countries, is the world's leading provider of mobile payment systems that increase motorists' convenience, improve mobility and enable mobile commerce (m-commerce) through telematic technology and applications software. Recently, TransCore made a dramatic move by acquiring three leading transportation companies, Amtech Systems, Viastar and American Traffic Systems (ATS), pursuing a key element of its continuing growth strategy. This new transportation expertise is unparalleled in the ITS industry.

TransCore's system and technical leadership includes wireless radio frequency identification (RFID) communication products, electronic toll and congestion pricing systems, customer service centers, commercial vehicle operations, intelligent border crossings, trade corridor applications, advanced traffic management systems, video enforcement, advanced traveler information systems, and enterprise-wide transportation management systems. TransCore has almost 1,400 employees with more than 80 offices throughout the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.transcore.com or www.atstraffic.com