The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running

Focus on Safety Symposium:
A Practical Look at Automated Traffic Enforcement

Friday, October 12, 2007
Ft. Lauderdale Convention Center

Click here to see sample comments from attendees!

Program

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Leslie Blakey. Leslie is the executive director of the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running and is a principal in the Washington, D.C., public affairs firm of Blakey & Agnew, LLC, which developed and manages the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running. She holds a B.S. in Sociology and a M.S. in Public Administration, with a major in economics, from Florida State University. Click here to see her presentation on “The Lawless Driver & Automated Enforcement.”

Keynote Speaker

Ann Sweet, National Spokesperson, National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running & Survivor Advocate. Ann lives in Warsaw, Indiana, and became involved in the red light running issue after her 21 year old daughter Shawnee was killed by a red light runner on October 27, 1997, as she crossed U.S. 30 near Warsaw. The driver was in a semi hauling a loaded flatbed trailer. She was killed instantly. As a victim advocate, Ann works throughout the country, speaking to various groups in an effort to save lives, reduce red light running, and comfort those who have experienced the tragedy of red light running. Ann works in Indiana and other states for the passage of legislation that will allow the use of red light cameras as one important part of an overall traffic safety campaign. Click here to read her keynote address.

Panel I: A Look at the Research

MODERATOR:
Lu Stanton León, National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running. Lu is a senior associate at Blakey & Agnew, LLC, and was the principal writer for the new “Focus on Safety: A practical guide to automated traffic enforcement.” She was also principal writer and researcher for the Campaign’s 2002 report, “Stop on Red = Safe on Green: A Guide to Red Light Camera Programs.” For more than 25 years Lu has written for a variety of publications, businesses, and newspapers. Click here to see “A Look at the Research.”

PANELISTS:

Bryan Porter, Old Dominion University. received his B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech in 1990. He then earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from The University of Memphis’ Experimental Psychology Program. After obtaining his Ph.D. in 1996, Bryan joined the psychology faculty at Old Dominion University. His area of emphasis is Behavioral Community Psychology, focusing on community problems and psychology's role in solving those problems. He has studied techniques for increasing traffic safety, fire safety, and pro-environment action. For traffic safety, he has directed research grants on red light running, pedestrian safety, tailgating, and safety-restraint behaviors.

In addition to numerous technical reports, he has published articles in Accident Analysis and Prevention, Journal of Safety Research, and the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. He has co-authored book chapters appearing in Traffic & Transport Psychology (2004) and Injury and Violence Prevention (2006).

Bryan is the North American representation for the Traffic Psychology division of the International Association of Applied Psychology and is an Advisory Board member for the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running. He has delivered nearly 50 community and professional service presentations, has produced 15 public policy testimonies and/or Op-Eds, and has been interviewed and personally quoted in more than 80 electronic/print media articles. Click here to see some of his recent research.
Richard Retting, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Richard is Senior Transportation Engineer with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in Arlington, VA. He has over 25 years experience in traffic engineering and highway safety, with emphasis on intersection safety, traffic control devices, roadside hazards, pedestrian safety, speed studies, and automated traffic enforcement.

Richard holds a M.S. in Transportation Planning and Engineering from Polytechnic University of New York. Prior to joining the Institute in 1990, he served as Deputy Assistant Commissioner for Highway Safety Programs for the New York City Department of Transportation. He is a nationally recognized traffic safety expert who has appeared on numerous television and radio programs, including CNN, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, and National Public Radio. Click here to see some of his recent research.

Panel II: What Makes a Good Program

MODERATOR:
Leslie Blakey, National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.

PANELISTS:

Brad Neighbor, City Attorney for Garland, TX. Brad Neighbor is the City Attorney for Garland, Texas. He has authored numerous amicus briefs in various courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, on issues relating to local government. He has been involved in municipal law for over 20 years and was the chief architect of Texas’s first automated red light enforcement program.

Brad is board certified in Civil Appellate Law by the State Bar of Texas, one of only a handful of governmental lawyers who holds that certification. He also is certified as a Local Government Fellow by the International Municipal Lawyers Association, a designation achieved through experience, peer recommendations, and testing. He is a frequent lecturer on matters involving appellate and municipal law and he has written a number of articles for legal journals.

Brad received a B.A. in public administration from the University of North Texas in 1980 and a J.D. from Texas Tech University in 1985. In law school, he received awards for excellence in Local Government Law and Land Use Planning Law from the American Bar Association, Urban, State, and Local Government Law Section.
Roseanne Nance, Safety Services Section Chief of the Bureau of Safety Engineering, Illinois Department of Transportation, could not be present but sent her Power Point presentation concerning photo enforcement in work zones. To view it, click here.
Jeff Agnew, representing SafeSpeed, Montgomery County, MD, talked about the importance of public awareness campaigns to the successful launch and operation of photo enforcement programs. Jeff Agnew is communications director for the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running and is a principal in the Washington, D.C., public affairs firm of Blakey & Agnew, LLC, which developed and manages the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.

Jeff, a native of Pensacola, Florida, holds a M.B.A. in international business and marketing from The American University and received his B.A. in communications from the University of the Pacific.

Panel III: Legislative Advocacy — Answering Critics

MODERATOR:
George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel Editorial Writer. George is a senior editorial writer and columnist with The Orlando Sentinel. He joined the Sentinel Editorial Board in July of 2006, after a career in sports. He specializes in Latin American issues, immigration, social services, public safety, pop culture and sports. He has been the paper's point man on editorials pushing for red light camera legislation in Florida. He also writes a local and state column and an op-ed piece once a week. Born in Havana, George immigrated with his father, mother and two sisters and settled in Miami. He graduated from the University of Florida’s School of Journalism in 1978, and worked at The Miami Herald and Cincinnati Post before joining The Orlando Sentinel sports department in 1989.

PANELISTS:

Brad Neighbor, City Attorney for Garland, Texas
Ann Sweet, National Spokesperson, National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running & Survivor Advocate
Leslie Blakey, National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running
Jeff Agnew, representing the Virginia Photo Red Coalition. Click here to see his presentation.

Panel IV: Photo Enforcement & Florida

MODERATOR:
Neil Spirtas, Manatee Chamber of Commerce. Neil is Vice President of Public Affairs for the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, located in Bradenton, Florida. He is responsible for all governmental affairs (for the last 23 years) and oversees the Chamber’s tourism and small business activities. In March 2006, Neil assisted Melissa Wandall in forming the STOP! Red Light Running Coalition of Florida, Inc. and is treasurer of that organization. He currently serves with two other transportation related organizations: Floridians for Better Transportation (board member) and South Tampa Area Transportation Partnerships (treasurer and founder). A registered lobbyist with the State of Florida, Neil received his Master’s degree in Community Development from the University of Missouri. The Manatee Chamber of Commerce recently received recognition as National Chamber of the Year and Three-Time Florida Chamber of the Year. Click here to see the analysis of a recent survey commissioned by Florida's STOP! Red Light Running that found 82 percent Florida residents believe red light running is a problem.

Roundtable Discussion with Audience Participation

Linda Stewart, Orange County Commissioner. Linda was first elected to the Orange County, Florida, Board of County Commissioners in 2002 and was reelected in 2006. She is also the chairwoman of METROPLAN, a tri-county transportation agency. In her role as county commissioner and chairwoman of METROPLAN, one of her priorities has been to pursue legislation allowing red light cameras. She is also an advocate for other traffic safety issues, including legislation addressing street racing and traffic calming measures.
Capt. Randal Lautenburg, Apopka Police Department. Randal currently serves as Captain of the Field Services Division of the Apopka Police Department. He began his law enforcement career in September 1988. Prior to assuming his current role in October 2005, he was Field Services Division Commander for eight years. He is a graduate of the University of St. Louis, Southern Police Institute Command Officer's Development Course, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Senior Leadership Program. Click here to see his presentation on Apopka’s photo enforcement program.
Sheryl Bradley, STOP! Red Light Running Coalition. Sheryl is a founder of the STOP! Red Light Running Coalition of Florida and is Chairperson of the Orange County Community Traffic Safety Team. She serves as Traffic Safety Coordinator of the Orlando Police Department, Special Operations Division. Click here to see her presentation.