Since Feb., New Orleans traffic cams issuing tickets at lower speeds; change unannounced

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New Orleans officials have lowered the speeds that trigger traffic camera tickets, ensnaring an unknown number of drivers who thought they were abiding by well-publicized rules for what to do to avoid getting busted.

The change, which apparently went into effect in February, was not announced by Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration.

Cantrell had made eliminating the city's traffic cameras a key promise of her mayoral campaign in 2017, arguing they were "nickel-and-diming" residents. She scaled back that plan once in office, however, limiting it to the removal of most cameras outside of school zones as part of a plan that ended up generating fewer tickets and therefore less money than the city expected.

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The city always has allowed drivers a cushion of a few miles per hour over the posted speed limit before the cameras are activated. It's that cushion that has been cut back.

Asked about the change on Monday, an administration official did not say when the city officially reduced the cushion and did not say what speeds now result in a ticket. The administration also did not answer questions about whether the decision was made before or after it became clear the city was missing out on more cash than officials had estimated.

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Since 2012, drivers could travel up to 26 mph before being ticketed in school zones and up to 10 mph over the speed limit elsewhere without seeing a traffic camera's flash.

By lowering those thresholds without notice, the city essentially has been ticketing drivers who had taken officials at their word about what speed would result in a citation.

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Despite the reduction in tickets in January, finance officials last month told the City Council's Budget Committee that the camera program was bringing in $2 million more than it had the previous year.

When Councilman Joe Giarrusso asked how that could be, since the city had taken down many of the cameras, Chief Financial Officer Norman White did not mention any change in policy.

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