ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A man driving to Rochester for work said he received a bus stop camera ticket in March for a violation he didn’t commit, and despite providing evidence, he was still being told to appear in court.
Curtis Pound’s ticket was voided after News10NBC began investigating.
What the Video Shows
Pound tells Kristi Blake the ticket came with video footage that clearly shows a different vehicle passing a stopped school bus on North Clinton Avenue. He said his car has a luggage rack that’s visible in other frames, proving it wasn’t the vehicle that ran the red light.
In the video, Pound’s SUV goes past the bus while the bus is still moving. The stop arm has not moved out and the lights are not on.
“That’s not my car,” Pound said. “Luckily, I have the luggage rack because otherwise it would be hard to tell. But when you stop it, you can see my luggage rack is on the car.”
Monroe County’s Bus Patrol Coordinator looked into the video and agreed Pound received the violation in error. After reaching out to the city, the ticket was voided and his court date cancelled.
Pound said without the video evidence, he probably would have paid the ticket. He questioned how the automated system connected his license plate to the violation when his car had already passed the bus before the signs activated.
The Numbers
As of mid-June, Monroe County says technicians have reviewed 35,579 citations and issued 19,031 tickets in the county program. In the city of Rochester, technicians have reviewed 46,199 citations; resulting in 21,216 tickets.
Pound said he mailed a response explaining the error and sent proof of his luggage rack purchase. He said he never received a response — just a letter with a court date.
Communication
When he called the phone number listed on the notice, Pound said the automated system only allowed him to pay the fine. He said there was no option to speak with anyone or contest the ticket over the phone.
“The only thing that this phone number allows you to do is pay the bill,” Pound said. “You can’t talk to anybody.”
“I agree with the program”
Pound said he supports the bus stop camera program for children’s safety. He said the driver who actually ran the red light should be penalized. Pound said his issue isn’t with the bus stop camera program itself, but with the process for disputing tickets. His court date was scheduled for a Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., which he said is burdensome for working people.
“I believe in the program,” Pound said. “I just think that if they’re going to have the program and if there are times when there are issues, as with all programs, there should be a way to grievance without you having to go in person.”
“You have to go downtown in person to basically contest this,” Pound said. “I think that’s burdensome for all people, especially working people that may not have the time to be able to do that or the flexibility.”
Price Tag
The fine is $250 with no points on a driver’s license. Pound said some people might just pay rather than take time off work to contest it.
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