E.L. traffic code channels funding to city

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East Lansing might get an economic boost after the City Council adopted an ordinance June 16 that allows the city to collect revenue from traffic citations involving certain vehicles.

The council added the Michigan Vehicle Code, Uniform Traffic Code and the Motor Carrier Safety Act to the city code. Previously, there was no city code regarding citations for commercial vehicles and licensed limousines, which also include most taxis. Funds received from any tickets given to those types of vehicles went directly to the state.

With the update to the code, two-thirds of the ticket will now go into the city’s general revenue fund.

“It doesn’t change the law,” Assistant City Attorney Tom Yeadon said. “A (semi truck) traveling through town violating the law would already be ticketed for that. Now we’re making it so that it’s the city will receive … revenue from that ticket.”

East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis stressed the council did not pass the ordinance in order to raise revenue. He said the City Council received no estimates of how much revenue the code could potentially bring to the city and was only concerned about the safety issues.

“We are doing what we can to make sure that our roadways are safe and that we’re in compliance with the state code,” he said.

City officials said the code will offer more visibility to the issue of traffic violations committed by commercial vehicles and licensed limousines.

By updating the city code, it will make the city more consistent with the state law, Loomis said.

“Its just one of those things that heightens everyone’s awareness,” he said.

East Lansing police officer Adrian Ojerio is one of five police officers educated with the ordinance and who regularly writes traffic violations pertaining to commercial vehicles.

Ojerio estimates he writes 15 to 20 tickets to commercial vehicles and licensed limousines per month.

According to the Department of Motorized Vehicles, a traffic infraction can range anywhere from $100 to $500 dollars.

The ordinance will not go into effect until it is published in a public paper, which Loomis said could happen sometime in early July.

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