Often sought by mayors and police chiefs for reasons of safety but also revenue, red-light cameras have been the subject of heated national debate. Studies have documented that they can improve safety by encouraging obedience to traffic signals - but they can also increase some types of crashes, as drivers are tempted to stop short or speed up to avoid being caught at a changing light.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino has supported the cameras for years, filing repeated bills with Representative Kevin G. Honan of Brighton, including the one backed by the Patrick administration. Beacon Hill has not warmed to the idea, even though proponents have called for treating red-light camera tickets like parking tickets, rather than moving violations that would result in license points and insurance surcharges and that might tie up courts with appeals.
“What we have heard from the Legislature is that they are concerned about the privacy of the driver, which is funny because our cameras would not catch the front of the vehicle and therefore protect the driver’s anonymity,’’ Boston Transportation Commissioner Thomas J. Tinlin said, via e-mail. In other words, it would be the same kind of system already in use - by the state - to catch Massachusetts Turnpike toll evaders.
That legislation may be stalled, but a related measure to allow cameras to record drivers who breeze past stopped school buses is gaining traction. The House Transportation Committee gave it a favorable recommendation in November and referred it to Ways and Means, which accepted it last week and began reviewing the financial ramifications.
Medford, Quincy, and Seekonk have already launched pilot programs to test bus cameras and collect data - the Globe reported last summer that each recorded about one violation a day - but no community can take the next step and issue camera-based tickets without legislative approval.
Nostalgic ride on the Mattapan Line can be a real treat for commuters
