Intersection cameras

[juggernaut]

So if anyone has any info on the traffic cameras i would appreciate the info. thanks- Rob.

I think the red light cameras only take still pictures when the sensor indicates someone ran the red light, but you say you had the green. There may be transtar cameras to monitor traffic flow if it's a major road but I don't know long they retain that video.

[LarryH]

Thanks, Jason.

I think I was living in LaPorte or Deer Park when told that. Policy may be different there.

[Bennies]

So if anyone has any info on the traffic cameras i would appreciate the info. thanks- Rob.

I think the red light cameras only take still pictures when the sensor indicates someone ran the red light, but you say you had the green. There may be transtar cameras to monitor traffic flow if it's a major road but I don't know long they retain that video.

The transtar camera is the ones i am referring to. This is a major intersection an they do have regular video cameras as well as a red light camera in part of the intersection. I have been doing a little research and i did not even know they were transtar cameras. With that now i can at least e mail transtar and ask.
Hopefully i won't need to do that. His insurance can't even get a hold of him as of Friday. I provided then with the working number that he had given me which they did not have. Soooo..... who knows.

[sss]

Are you sure that they're Transtar cameras and not just traffic signal maintenance cameras?
See: http://www.texashighwayman.com/sigcams.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are very few cameras in the Greater Houston area on surface streets that are actually controlled by Transtar:
http://traffic.houstontranstar.org/cctv ... Atascocita" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[dicion]

As others have said, the White cameras mounted on horizontal mast arms and vertical corner poles at intersections are not there for recording, or even for people to watch.
They are there as vehicle detectors to replace or supplement the loop detectors that are usually cut in the road.

The video from them is usually just fed to a video processor card, that watches 'zones' that are configured on the video for changes. Similar to how you set 'zones' for motion recording on CCTV DVR Systems, if any of you have ever done that. The Processor monitors these zones for certain changes, and if it detect a vehicle in this zone, it sends a signal to the traffic controller saying so. The Controller then makes 'intelligent' decisions based on these signals, which allows the signal to be more efficient on handing queued traffic around it.

The large majority of the ones installed in the Houston area are Iteris 'Vantage' Brand. Information about them is available here: http://www.iteris.com/vvd.aspx?q=10011&c=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How do I know this? Well, for any single intersection in the city of Houston with them, there's a Good Chance that I was the one who installed them, or was at least involved in the planning or installation
For example, I specifically did all the ones down Westheimer, Richmond, Bellaire, and the Light Rail downtown, as well as pretty much all of the ones on the west side, Westchase district area There's tons of others that I've done as well ;)

Now, there are SOME out there that are actually brought back to a central location, and CAN be monitored, but even those are NOT recorded at this time. Government agencies typically _DO NOT RECORD_ traffic stuff like this, because it causes them to be subject to every single request that anyone puts in about them, causing a LOT of work. It's easier to just say 'We don't record, no records available', rather than have 1 or 2 people dedicated full time to simply serving every request put in by anyone.

Regarding Transtar Cameras, I also have installed and maintain a lot of them as well. As far as I know from the last time I was at Transtar, they do not record these cameras either. They are strictly live only. There is only ONE Agency in Harris County that has the Ability to record Transtar Cameras, and they ONLY use that ability during certain incidents, not all the time. Not going to say who that agency is, but I was involved in the installation of that system as well ;)

So, in short, if it's traffic signal or camera related in Harris County, chances are I currently am or was involved with it in some way ;)

I love my job, and I love answering questions from people on traffic signal related questions! Please, feel free to ask anything else you want to know, and I'll do my best to explain it ;)

[Bennies]

As others have said, the White cameras mounted on horizontal mast arms and vertical corner poles at intersections are not there for recording, or even for people to watch.
They are there as vehicle detectors to replace or supplement the loop detectors that are usually cut in the road.

The video from them is usually just fed to a video processor card, that watches 'zones' that are configured on the video for changes. Similar to how you set 'zones' for motion recording on CCTV DVR Systems, if any of you have ever done that. The Processor monitors these zones for certain changes, and if it detect a vehicle in this zone, it sends a signal to the traffic controller saying so. The Controller then makes 'intelligent' decisions based on these signals, which allows the signal to be more efficient on handing queued traffic around it.

The large majority of the ones installed in the Houston area are Iteris 'Vantage' Brand. Information about them is available here: http://www.iteris.com/vvd.aspx?q=10011&c=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

How do I know this? Well, for any single intersection in the city of Houston with them, there's a Good Chance that I was the one who installed them, or was at least involved in the planning or installation


For example, I specifically did all the ones down Westheimer, Richmond, Bellaire, and the Light Rail downtown, as well as pretty much all of the ones on the west side, Westchase district area There's tons of others that I've done as well ;)

Now, there are SOME out there that are actually brought back to a central location, and CAN be monitored, but even those are NOT recorded at this time. Government agencies typically _DO NOT RECORD_ traffic stuff like this, because it causes them to be subject to every single request that anyone puts in about them, causing a LOT of work. It's easier to just say 'We don't record, no records available', rather than have 1 or 2 people dedicated full time to simply serving every request put in by anyone.

Regarding Transtar Cameras, I also have installed and maintain a lot of them as well. As far as I know from the last time I was at Transtar, they do not record these cameras either. They are strictly live only. There is only ONE Agency in Harris County that has the Ability to record Transtar Cameras, and they ONLY use that ability during certain incidents, not all the time. Not going to say who that agency is, but I was involved in the installation of that system as well ;)

So, in short, if it's traffic signal or camera related in Harris County, chances are I currently am or was involved with it in some way ;)

I love my job, and I love answering questions from people on traffic signal related questions! Please, feel free to ask anything else you want to know, and I'll do my best to explain it ;)

This is why I love this forum. There is a good chance someone is the know about very specific questions one might have. Out of curiosity have you worked on the camera system for JFK and Greens road intersection by IAH? That is were my incedint happened.

[dicion]

This is why I love this forum. There is a good chance someone is the know about very specific questions one might have. Out of curiosity have you worked on the camera system for JFK and Greens road intersection by IAH? That is were my incedint happened.

No, that is one of the ones I was not involved with. I can tell you, however, that they are most likely not recorded, and there will be no records available from them.
That area is not one of the areas with active surveillance available on the cameras as far as I know, the communications infrastructure for streaming video is just not there. Very few areas have this infrastructure, and those that do, tend to be more wealthier, newer areas. Which I'm sure you agree that the Gunsp... err Greenspoint area isn't ;)

[Bennies]

This is why I love this forum. There is a good chance someone is the know about very specific questions one might have. Out of curiosity have you worked on the camera system for JFK and Greens road intersection by IAH? That is were my incedint happened.

No, that is one of the ones I was not involved with. I can tell you, however, that they are most likely not recorded, and there will be no records available from them.
That area is not one of the areas with active surveillance available on the cameras as far as I know, the communications infrastructure for streaming video is just not there. Very few areas have this infrastructure, and those that do, tend to be more wealthier, newer areas. Which I'm sure you agree that the Gunsp... err Greenspoint area isn't ;)

Lol yes it is safe to say Gunspoint is defiantly not one of those areas. Good news however, the other guy's insurance just called and they admit liability so i won't need do anything else except drive my car to get it fixed.