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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 06/18/2024 - Memorandum from Jerrod Kinsman re: May 28, 2024 Work Session Summary: Traffic Safety Initiative Page 1 of 2 MEMORANDUM Date: June 13, 2024 To: Mayor and City Councilmembers Through: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager Jeff Swoboda, Chief of Police From: Jerrod Kinsman, Police Lieutenant, Special Operations Division Subject: May 28, 2024 Work Session Summary: Traffic Safety Initiative BOTTOM LINE 1. Given the costs and program approach, what is Council’s feedback on what level of enforcement it would like to see staff pursue? 2. What next steps would Council like to see? 3. What feedback does Council have on timing of implementation and whether to move this initiative forward quickly or consider resources as part of 2025-2026 budget process? 4. After covering the costs of the program, would Council like to see additional funds designated for enforcement, education, and engineering? BACKGROUND Traffic speed is a concerning problem facing the City. Last year, the City experienced a record- high number of fatal and injury collisions, many of which were associated with people driving beyond posted speed limits. In 2023, the State passed legislation to allow local governments to conduct unmanned speed enforcement with AVIS (Automated Vehicle Identification System). With this change in State law, the City of Fort Collins has the opportunity to impact traffic speed compliance through the expanded use of automated speed enforcement to reduce the number of injury crashes and traffic-related fatalities on our roadways. As part of the City's current traffic enforcement program, six intersections are outfitted with red- light cameras (two cameras per intersection) that detect red stop-light violations. Those twelve red-light-camera approaches have the capability to also detect, validate, and generate speeding violations where vehicle speed exceeds the posted limit of more than eleven miles per hour, if those intersections are designated within a speed corridor. Additionally, this initiative adds the DocuSign Envelope ID: F2113FDE-0747-4A0B-8BA5-0BEF52DE08CA Page 2 of 2 contracted use of two transportable units that can be placed temporarily in problematic locations to address speed compliance between intersections. This proposal is also to recommend funding full-time equivalents (FTEs) in Municipal Court, the City Attorney’s Office and PDT. The expansion of the AVIS program and traffic safety related FTEs would be funded through fines collected by AVIS, both red-light and speed cameras if this request is adopted by Council. Below are links to media related to this recommendation: https://www.cpr.org/2023/06/06/polis-signs-bill-allowing-more-speed-cameras-across-colorado/ https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004607.pub4/abstract NEXT STEPS Present changes to ordinances 1106 and 615 to council for first reading. Present ordinance adopting speed corridors within the City. Appropriate funding from RLCR funds for recommended FTEs. CC: Carrie Daggett, City Attorney Travis Storin, Chief Financial Officer Dawn Downs, Managing Attorney DocuSign Envelope ID: F2113FDE-0747-4A0B-8BA5-0BEF52DE08CA