Camera's in and around Anne Arundel County

[JLHDU]

Has anyone else noticed but there are ALOT of traffic cameras going up at intersections throughout Anne Arundel County. It appears as though they have wires running down the poles at traffic lights with a camera pointed at each intersection. Who is monitoring them? They don't look like the "red light" cameras in Columbia or the "Speed" cameras in the District. Are they wireless? Can they be tapped into (monitored from an internet site)? I know WTOP has a listing of "traffic cams" but I didn't see any of these. They just installed 4 more at the intersection of Route 175 and route 170 (Telegraph rd/Piney Orchard Pkwy). I also saw a bunch down toward Crofton and Bowie on Route 3.

I know this isn't really scanner related, I'm just curious. Big Brother must be watching..LOL

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/

-J

 

[aaronp]

They probably aren't cameras.
Years ago, traffic sensors were imbedded into the roadway, so that a vehicle pulling up to the intersection trips the light, but it costs a ton of money to maintain those loops in the roadway.
Most jurisdictions are switching over to traffic sensors mounted on the light poles. They are much cheaper to install and require less money and manpower to maintain. They are supposed to work better in different conditions like snow and rain. They don't require you to tear up the roadway to install.
If they look like they are pointed down to the spot where the first vehicle waiting for a light to change would sit, they are probably traffic sensors.

 

[UPMan]

They could also be emergency vehicle traffic light preemption devices. They detect a special strobe on Fire/Police/Ambulance vehicles that force the light to turn green for them and red for all other directions of travel. Also mounted near the signal lights and could be mistaken for a camera.

 

[Dank]

They could also be to aid traffic mgmt. In Montgomery Co., for example there are tons of cameras to allow the TMC (traffic mgmt ctr) to monitor flow and adjust the timing of traffic lights if needed. It would only make sense to install cameras to see all aspects of an intersection for this purpose. I'm not familiar with AA Co. so I don't know if they monitor traffic like Mont Co. does.

 

[BoxAlarm187]

As UPMAN said, if the "cameras" are small black objects with a round "stick" pointing towards the traffic lanes, you likely have 3M Opticom receivers.

 

[JLHDU]

They look more like about a 8-12 Inch cylinder about 2" in diameter. The camera part is black but the outer casing of the camera is white with what looks like about a 1 inch hood covering the opening. I've even seen something similiar popping up in Leesburg, VA where I work...

-J

 

[CapitalPunishment]

Theyre sensors, NOT cameras.

 

[archduke]

Borrow the rear tag off of your mother in law's car, then wait for a red light and blow on through. If you see a strobe flash you will know that it is a camara. Remember to put the plate back on her car later.

 

[1080iAddict]

Those are sensors and not cameras.

 

[MysticalOS]

A town in my area recently in fact put sensors at every intersection to detect approaching vehicles and preemtively time the light or instantly change it at night time...They are pretty nice realy cause the light will change when you get close to it in middle of night without having to come to a complete stop. They are a nightmare to a radar detector though. Because they are beaming signals in all 4 directions on every intersection. I noticed the freqs are K band on ones here. and the local law enforcement was using nothing but KA. I wonder if a K band radar gun would work with so many K signals being beamed off traffic lights? That would account for this city being one of the few in area that use KA when most of the small towns in area actually do use K.

 

[JLHDU]

A town in my area recently in fact put sensors at every intersection to detect approaching vehicles and preemtively time the light or instantly change it at night time...They are pretty nice realy cause the light will change when you get close to it in middle of night without having to come to a complete stop. They are a nightmare to a radar detector though. Because they are beaming signals in all 4 directions on every intersection. I noticed the freqs are K band on ones here. and the local law enforcement was using nothing but KA. I wonder if a K band radar gun would work with so many K signals being beamed off traffic lights? That would account for this city being one of the few in area that use KA when most of the small towns in area actually do use K.

I haven't seen any of those, but in Columbia, MD the RED Light cameras make my Passport 8500 Radar Detector go off detecting LASER.

-J

 

[DPH410]

If you notice, the only roadways you'll consistently see these cameras at are state-managed, i.e. state Routes. They are all fed back to the MD SHA Ops Center located on Dorsey Road (MD Rt 176) in Anne Arundel County. The center can monitor traffic conditions in real-time all over the state.

 

[trimmerj]

Anyone have any info on the yagis I see at lots of intersections?

 

[JLHDU]

If you notice, the only roadways you'll consistently see these cameras at are state-managed, i.e. state Routes. They are all fed back to the MD SHA Ops Center located on Dorsey Road (MD Rt 176) in Anne Arundel County. The center can monitor traffic conditions in real-time all over the state.

Which camera's specifically....I've seen several types. At the beginning of this thread, I thought sensors were cameras...

 

[wadeless28]

If you notice, the only roadways you'll consistently see these cameras at are state-managed, i.e. state Routes. They are all fed back to the MD SHA Ops Center located on Dorsey Road (MD Rt 176) in Anne Arundel County. The center can monitor traffic conditions in real-time all over the state.

I believe what DPH is refering to is located here http://www.chart.state.md.us/TravInfo/trafficCams.asp

The "cameras" that you are refering to at the interstection of 170/175 are sensors for the traffic lights. From my vantage point, turning north onto 170 from eastbound 175 they work great now compared to when they were first installed. It has sped my commute time up just a bit in the evening. I still don't the turn on green arrow only signals that are on 175 at 170 though. It still sucks.

Try navigating a piece of fire equipment east on 175 from the firehouse to 170 between 4:30 and 6:30 in the evenings. Reminds me of New York City.

Mike

 

[JLHDU]

I believe what DPH is refering to is located here http://www.chart.state.md.us/TravInfo/trafficCams.asp

The "cameras" that you are refering to at the interstection of 170/175 are sensors for the traffic lights. From my vantage point, turning north onto 170 from eastbound 175 they work great now compared to when they were first installed. It has sped my commute time up just a bit in the evening. I still don't the turn on green arrow only signals that are on 175 at 170 though. It still sucks.

Try navigating a piece of fire equipment east on 175 from the firehouse to 170 between 4:30 and 6:30 in the evenings. Reminds me of New York City.

Mike

My guess is that your at the OVFD?

I agree. I was rear ended right infront of the firehouse Rt. 175E in Sept 2005 because both lanes were stopped and someone in the right lane decided to let a commuter pull out and I was in the left lane of Rt. 175E. I hate going down 175E in the right lane by the library trying to turn up Piney Orchard Pkwy (Rt 170S).

My daughter loves it when the carnival comes to the firehouse. Do you have a local list of freq's? I'll give you what I have (air).

-J

 

[wadeless28]

My guess is that your at the OVFD?

I agree. I was rear ended right infront of the firehouse Rt. 175E in Sept 2005 because both lanes were stopped and someone in the right lane decided to let a commuter pull out and I was in the left lane of Rt. 175E. I hate going down 175E in the right lane by the library trying to turn up Piney Orchard Pkwy (Rt 170S).

My daughter loves it when the carnival comes to the firehouse. Do you have a local list of freq's? I'll give you what I have (air).

-J

Actually Troymail and myself are members of 28. The carnival is a great time for us also. My kids have grown up running around our carnival and riding every ride. I do get sick of funnel cakes by the end of the carnival though. (It’s the stand I work when I'm not running around.)

The frequencies on here are the most complete and up to date list I can find around. I think the cadre of members on here are pretty thorough. With your expertise in air traffic control, we should have a pretty good team.

The ZDC freqs. on here are what I have currently. I wish I could better understand the boundaries for each sector inside the centers. Like where is the boundary between ZDC SWANN and say CALVERT. I have yet to find that information.

Mike

 

[TinEar]

Have you checked the database recently for the ZDC freqs? I submitted an entire new list about a week ago that has now been added.

The ZNY list was accurate as of a couple of years ago but I believe there are a couple of freq changes to it since then. Everyone seems to be working from the same list of freqs which were distributed by NY Center itself in a memo at that time. That memo also includes maps of the sectors. If you don't have that list, let me know and I'll forward it to you.

Kind of off the original topic so I'm sorry for that.

 

[JLHDU]

Have you checked the database recently for the ZDC freqs? I submitted an entire new list about a week ago that has now been added.

The ZNY list was accurate as of a couple of years ago but I believe there are a couple of freq changes to it since then. Everyone seems to be working from the same list of freqs which were distributed by NY Center itself in a memo at that time. That memo also includes maps of the sectors. If you don't have that list, let me know and I'll forward it to you.

Kind of off the original topic so I'm sorry for that.

Tin,

Give me a week or two...I'll see what I can get for ZNY and ZOB.

-J

 

[kb3jkc]

I had the opportunity to observe one of these things being set up several months ago. While I'm not an engineer, I think I can explain a little about them. While these devices are cameras, they are used as traffic sensors, and work exactly as "aaronp" described in his post.

When being set up, a video monitor is hooked to the camera wiring at the site, allowing the camera/sensor to be aimed and adjusted to properly trip the signal to change. These are not the same traffic cameras that can be viewed from the CHART website, and although they can be tapped into and monitored remotely from SHA at Hanover, they are not routinely watched. The camera is merely the means to cause the signal to change.