The City of Des Moines has appealed the Iowa Department of Transportation’s order to remove the speed camera on Interstate 235 near Waveland Golf Course by Friday, claiming the DOT didn’t have the authority to issue the demand.

DOT had ordered the city to shut down the camera because it appeared to have no significant effect on safety on the freeway while the city issued 36,202 citations in 2012 and 42,156 in 2013, which the state considered “extremely high numbers.”

The DOT contended the city was picking on travelers from outside the area, who would not be as familiar with the camera as locals. City attorneys Carol Moser and Thomas Fisher, in a letter to the state Thursday, said non-local drivers have the same obligation to obey speed laws as others.  

They said DOT’s order is “without factual basis or legal authority. They asked DOT to reverse its decision or delay the shut down while the city continues its appeals. Read a previous article on Business Record.com.