You see them around town at busy intersections. In particular, I am wondering about those at the intersection of Woodway and 610W feeder road. If they are cameras and not just sensors, which agency operates them?



https://maps.app.goo.gl/kGByqfKc9f7uqwLG6

I think it's just a sensor to determine if a vehicle is stopped at the intersection for purposes of determining timing of the traffic signals. I'm not a traffic engineer but these are lot cheaper and more reliable than the in-ground hall effect sensors that use to be more prevalent. Ironically, those sruggled with large trucks that were high off the ground. While they had a lot of steel, the magnetic effects are exponentially lost as distance increases, more than the proportional increase in mass.

This explains it

I just figured they were the old cameras to give out tickets that the city never bothered to take down, or had hopes they could eventually reinstate the program.

As others have stated and linked videos to - they are cameras that function as sensors to detect the presence of traffic at the intersection.

https://traffic.houstontranstar.org/signalmap/ This is a map of signals by jurisdiction so you can determine who operates a signal.

Thanks all.

FYI- there's currently legislation pending in Austin to allow traffic cameras for automated traffic enforcement other than red lights.

Traffic cameras are FAR bigger than that.

NSA

What you see above the lights are a mix of sensors and cameras for traffic monitoring. The old enforcement cameras were typically ground mounted and since 2019 banned by state law.

If you think these sensors are creepy, you should look into the sensors on lamp posts that read your EZ Tag.

i watch a ton of British crime shows - I choose to believe those are CCTV

P.H. Dexippus said:

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Thanks all.

FYI- there's currently legislation pending in Austin to allow traffic cameras for automated traffic enforcement other than red lights.

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I believe the legislature outlawed traffic cameras around 2011. Don't know why they would want to overturn that other than a $$$ grab.

Seen them all over for years. Never seen a shred of credible evidence that they are even activated much less actually do anything beneficial.

Marvin_Zindler said:

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P.H. Dexippus said:

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Thanks all.

FYI- there's currently legislation pending in Austin to allow traffic cameras for automated traffic enforcement other than red lights.

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I believe the legislature outlawed traffic cameras around 2011. Don't know why they would want to overturn that other than a $$$ grab.

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Because traffic enforcement presently rounds to zero and police departments seem indifferent to that post George Floyd.

They're lasers. Ready to take those down who don't comply.

MAROON said:

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i watch a ton of British crime shows - I choose to believe those are CCTV

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That's what they are, innit?

MAROON said:

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i watch a ton of British crime shows - I choose to believe those are CCTV

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Depending on the jurisdiction, the detection cameras, as well as other traffic observation/surveillance cameras may be recorded. I know of some cities that record the majority if not all of their traffic cameras. They just don't retain the video beyond say 48-72 hours in order to keep the open records requests to a minimum.