Dear Jon: Video traffic detection or ‘big brother?’

The city Transportation Planner says this is not a “big brother” scenario.

James Serrano tells me that the cameras mounted on the traffic signals are there for traffic purposes only. They call them ‘smart’ or ‘video detection’ devices, he says they’re all working and they are not watching you.

“We call them ‘smart’ signals because they can take information on the traffic. Says Serrano. So those cameras are not ‘big brother’ they can’t see and watch people and swivel? “Not at all, they can’t pan, they can’t zoom they are just fixed on a spot down the street and detecting vehicles, that’s all they do.”

Since the year 2000, Serrano says they’ve been adding cameras as a way to manage traffic flow at intersections in Salinas. These cameras are at 65 of the 106 intersections in the city including North Main Street from Bernal to Alvin. “We would like to go to video detection on all the traffic signals, but that’s a slow process,” say Serrano. It’s called, ‘show me the money.’ The ‘smart’ cameras are funded by the city’s gas tax and grants. The North Main Corridor cameras from Bernal to Alvin, 5 intersections in all and a total of 20 cameras was funded by a grant from the Monterey County Air Pollution Control District.

The benefit to drivers? “So cars that get a green about a mile away, can almost get all the greens through the corridor.” I drove through the corridor for this story and notice it was smooth sailing. I hit all the lights green with a slight delay at Laurel Street.

Serrano says they can pull the video feed of those cameras up on a computer screen at city hall, but only if they have to. They don’t do have reason to pull up the cameras with any regularity, says Serrano. “It’s about moving traffic, improving flow and efficiency, that’s all.”

Serrano says when they pull up the cameras online at city hall, they can view a wide angle of the width of the street. The video feed has icons for when the lights are red and green and a number of other informational items on the screen.

Serrano says there is no conspiracy to watch residents or catch offenders running red lights. “No, this is only looking at the ground, just detecting traffic that’s all they are.”

At this time, the City of Salinas has ‘smart’ corridors for traffic flow on North Main Street and Boronda Road. And Serrano says we’ll see a new corridor of 10 intersections on North Sanborn Avenue from Alisal Street to Freedom Parkway within the next 3 years.

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And we’re starting a new feature called “What’s Driving You Crazy!!??” If you have a traffic concern on the Central Coast that drives you crazy, it can be roads, bridges, signals, back-ups, whatever, I’ll see what solutions I can find for you here on News Channel Five. I’d like to read your note, send it now to the same email address: DearJon@KIONRightNow.com.