













Before Xerox's contract ended, Brekford had promised a seamless transition.






In an Aug. 17 letter to a city transportation official, Xerox manager Ryan Nicolas said that while the city would own the cameras when the contract ended, it would not inherit the software. "If desired," he wrote, "the city can license the related proprietary software from Xerox pursuant to a mutually acceptable agreement."

"We continue to cooperate with the city to address any issues," Xerox spokesman Chris Gilligan said Tuesday.

According to Brekford's formal proposal, the company will need four months to have its own system of cameras and software installed and operational. If Brekford cannot obtain software licenses needed to run the existing cameras, the four-month timetable suggests it could be spring before the city's system is running at full strength.

Ragina Averella, government and media relations manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic and a member of a mayoral task force studying Baltimore's automated enforcement, said she did not fault city officials for being reluctant to share information about inoperative speed cameras with the public, out of concern that increased speeding would result.

"We don't think it would be surprising to anyone if the cameras are not operational during this transitional period," Averella said. "That being said, from a traffic safety standpoint, we recognize and understand the city's reluctance to publicize if the cameras are in fact not operational."

Meanwhile the city has begun refunding citations to some motorists, including Daniel Rogers of Parkville. A speed camera on West Cold Spring Lane snapped a picture of his car Feb. 1 while he was on his way to a painting job.

The citation alleged that he was doing 63 mph, but The Baltimore Sun determined — using two time-stamped photos from the camera and measuring the distance traveled on the pavement — that his car's actual speed was 27 mph.

Like many motorists, Rogers paid the $40 rather than take the time to challenge the citation in court.

Earlier this month he received a letter from the city that began: "This letter is to inform you that you may have received a speeding citation in error. Due to a processing error, the City of Baltimore has voided the above citation."

The letter from the Transportation Department went on to state that the city was "working diligently to rectify this error." It said: "In this case, you will not be responsible for the citation issued, but please be advised that speeding can result in personal injuries, monetary fines, loss of driving privileges and the inability to register motor vehicles."

Days later he got a $40 check in the mail.

Rogers said he was pleased to get the refund but wishes the city had repaid him with interest and admitted the error. He said he didn't appreciate the "slap" about the importance of not speeding because he wasn't speeding.

"Yes, I got my money back," he said. "But they didn't offer an apology, didn't admit to the mistake and didn't reimburse me for that lost year of money."
