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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WJW) — In November 2014, Cleveland voters overwhelmingly passed Issue 35, banishing speed and traffic enforcement cameras forever from within the city limits.
At the time, the city had more than 60 cameras generating more than $6 million a year. Many voters saw them as nothing more than a money grab.
Eleven years later, Councilman Mike Polensek said traffic violations are by far the biggest complaint across the city to council members
“People blowing through the red lights, through the stop signs, going around school buses with the stop sign out,” Polensek said.
In council caucus meetings over the past several weeks, there have been discussions about the possibility of bringing the cameras back.
“We would have to take legislative action because we would have to repeal what was already passed by the voters. Now, would the voters support that if they knew it was restricted? Let’s say, to just school zones or those areas that we know are really critical. Maybe, maybe not,” Polensek said.
For now, the matter is simply a discussion.
Since 2014, there have been numerous legislative and judicial changes that impact cities using traffic cameras.
Among them is that the state legislature passed, and in 2019, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld legislation that requires cities with traffic enforcement cameras to report that revenue and to withhold state funds equivalent to that amount.
Polensek believes there are specific exceptions, including using the cameras in school zones.
Communities using the cameras must now also have an officer present, which is why you will see handheld cameras in communities, including Newburgh Heights and Peninsula.
But Polensek said the City of Cleveland already does not have enough officers to do traffic enforcement themselves.
Speed bumps are being installed in communities throughout Ohio to slow traffic, but Polensek said the number of requests for those is cost-prohibitive in Cleveland.
“Right now, as I am sitting here talking to you, I have over two dozen streets requesting speed tables. Every speed table is between $8,500 to $15,000 based on the width of the street. That comes right out of your ward resurfacing funds,” he told Fox 8 News.
For the cameras to return to Cleveland, voters would have to repeal what they passed in 2014.
But even before that happens, Polensek said he would want the council to get with legislators to understand what they can and cannot do in 2025.
He would also want to be able to tell residents exactly where the cameras would be.
Right now, all of that is just in the very, very preliminary stages with no commitment to take it any further than the conversations now being held at City Hall.
What Polensek can say is that when there were cameras in 2014, they did impact the behavior of drivers in the areas where they were placed.
“In my neighborhood, there were fewer people speeding in certain areas because they knew they were going to get nicked, so the message is very clear,” he said.
He believes that since 2019, the tables may have turned, with residents more accepting of the cameras if they are convinced they will only be used in areas where they impact safety.
“We are talking, internally here, we are talking only about safety and public safety and the safety of kids and pedestrians crossing streets, that’s what we are looking at.”
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Dave Nethers
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