Despite a statewide ban approved by the Texas State Legislature in 2019, four Texas cities still have active contracts with photographic enforcement companies.

Opponents of red-light cameras in Texas, whose lobbying efforts led to a statewide ban on photographic enforcement at intersections in 2019, are zeroing in on four cities that had grandfathered contracts with red-light camera companies. As Dug Begley reports in the Houston Chronicle, "The 2019 ban allowed for any city that had a contract with a photo enforcement company that did not include termination language related to statewide bans to keep them."
Lawmakers now want to end the remaining contracts, but state law doesn't allow cities to "simply void contracts they do not like." Ending the red-light camera contracts, writes Begley, could cost cities like Humble $50,000 a month, "a sum the small city cannot simply absorb."
Opponents have criticized red-light cameras as vulnerable to corruption in what has been termed "privatized law enforcement," but others argue that the programs save lives by reducing right-angle crashes and reducing the need for traffic safety by the police. "In response to opponents, lawmakers over the years have stripped virtually all the penalties for not paying red-light camera violations. Failure to pay cannot be reported to a credit agency, it has no effect on renewing a vehicle or driver’s license and it cannot land the person in civil court."
FULL STORY: Lawmakers who banned red light cameras, except where they didn't, try to finish the job

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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