Fulton passes on speed enforecement photos

The Fulton Traffic Commission decided Tuesday to drop a proposal to use photos to enforce speed limits in Fulton.

City Engineer Greg Hayes made the recommendation and the commission agreed.

Hayes said he wanted to table the issue for now, because MoDOT's Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has adopted a policy that would likely conflict with the intended use of photo enforcement in Fulton.

Hayes said the main use would have been on U.S. 54 through Fulton. He said new rules announced by the state agency would prohibit such use. The new MoDOT rules permit photo enforcement of speeders only through school, work and travel-safe zones where there have been a high number of accidents.

Hayes said the use of photo enforcement in Fulton would not have involved cameras at red lights but would have concentrated on speeding along U.S. 54 inside the city limits.

Hayes said another complication is that the firms operating such systems want to be involved in issuing and collecting fines. The private firm then would remit the city's share of the fines back to the city. Hayes said that was troubling to many local officials who didn't like the idea of a private firm writing and collecting fines on behalf of the city.

In other action, Hayes reported traffic was flowing smoothly on the city's new roundabout at Second Street, Business 54 and Missouri O.

Fulton Police Maj. Roger Rice said there have been no accidents reported on the new roundabout.

Hayes said traffic is moving so quickly through the intersection a traffic study is needed to prevent traffic from backing up at Fourth and Fifth streets. He said it may be necessary to adjust traffic lights at those intersections to avoid excessive backup of traffic during rush hours.

"I talked to a consultant Friday who said a study would require 20 percent participation by the city in a federal traffic study. Out of a $5,000 traffic engineering study, the city will have to come up with about $1,000," Hayes said.

The commission recommended school zone signs around the former Christian Academy location downtown be removed but the speed limit of 20 miles per hour should remain.

Hayes said he would review possible changes to parking signs around Ewing Street to enhance safety in the area.

Rice said a problem with Fulton School District buses using a narrow portion of West Seventh Street has been resolved. The buses had been using the extremely narrow street on their way to McIntire Elementary School. But the buses are now using Ninth Street to reach the school.

Hayes said he reviewed the manual for uniform traffic control devices and has determined that a diamond shaped sign with a picture of a fire engine should be erected near the new fire station now under construction on Tennyson Road. He said the sign needs to be erected before the new station goes into operation, perhaps by August.