Red-light-camera firm meets with parking authority

Philadelphia's red-light-camera operator met Thursday with officials of the Philadelphia Parking Authority about shifting to a new vendor, but the two sides still seem headed for court.

The authority is seeking a court injunction to prevent American Traffic Solutions Inc., of Tempe, Ariz., from shutting down the existing cameras before the new vendor, Xerox State and Local Solutions Inc., of Germantown, Md., can install new cameras.

"While the results of today's meeting with ATS were a step in the right direction, the PPA will continue to seek the court's intervention to insure ATS's compliance with all of the winding down provisions of their contract," parking authority spokesman Martin O'Rourke said.

ATS says it has no plans to pull the plug. The company also has asked U.S. District Court in Philadelphia to hear its lawsuit objecting to the award of the new contract to Xerox.

- Paul Nussbaum