Chicago Speed Camera Ordinance Passes 33-14
After a series of strong floor speeches from many alderman in support of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s speed camera ordinance, the ordinance passed with a 33-14 vote at this morning’s Chicago City Council meeting.
Many of the alderman voicing their support admitted they were getting strong constituent opposition to the ordinance, but felt the speed cameras around schools and parks would improve safety and save lives.
Alderman James Balcer, who had been hit by a car as a child, gave a strong, passionate speech in support of the cameras.
“The speed cameras are good and good for Chicago, and they will save lives” said Balcer. “I’ll say this to my colleagues, if you don’t want them I will take them in my ward. I vote yes.”
Alderman Joe Moore (49th) who was initially opposed to the idea, explained that he changed his mind when, while visiting family in Washington D.C., he received two of his very own speed camera tickets in Montgomery County and learned his lesson.
My first reaction was to be opposed to it,” said Moore. “But the camera does not play favorites. Whether you are an alderman or judge or off duty police officer if you’re speeding you will get a ticket. you cannot clout your way out of this ticket.”
The only alderman who spoke out against the ordinance was Ald. Leslie Hairston (4th), who wasn’t buying what the majority of her colleagues were saying.
“Where I am from, we look at it a little different,” said Hairston pointing out 90% of her ward is covered by safety zones. “I don’t stand here and support anyone breaking the law. My concern is about what happens when they are not used for speed. That is my concern.”
Hairston was also worried about aldermanic input on where the cameras would go in the ward.
“My other concern is we are giving up our authority,” explained Hairston. “We don’t have a say where these go. We (aldermen) should have a say so. Last time I checked we were a democracy. Little by little are are giving up our authority.”
The 14 aldermen who voted no on the speed cam bill includes Aldermen Arena (45th), Cappleman (46th), Ameya Pawar (47th), Osterman (48th), Robert Fioretti (2nd), Pat Dowell (3rd), Will Burns (3th), Leslie Hairston (5th), Roderick Sawyer (6th),
Sandy Jackson (7th), Michael Chandler (24th), Scott Waguespack (32nd), Nicholas Sposato (36th), and Reilly (42nd).
Aldermen Roberto Maldonado (26th), Ariel Reboyras (30th), and Deborah Graham (29th) were all absent for the vote.
UPDATE 4/19/12: Correction to preliminary vote count and addition of no votes on the ordinance.
[...] Will vote no. She also said, “My other concern is we are giving up our authority”, explained Hairston. “We don’t have a say where these go. We (aldermen) should have a say so. Last time I [...]
Mayor Rahm and city council, you’re all useless and spineless. If you analyze census data, you’d learn that the state of Illinois, the county of Cook, and most importantly and most dramatically, the city of Chicago has lost thousands of people that fled for better places to live. Look in the mirror, this is your fault and it will continue because of your policies. Nice work. When the 2020 census comes out, and more people left, then pat yourselves on the back.
It is called, using safety as a excuse.
This “ordanance” is being used as a printing press.
Wait till they come back later and lower the trigger speeds like other European countries do.
http://www.banthecams.org
Does anyone have the list of aldermen who voted against this?
How can I find the record of this vote to understand who voted in favor of this ordinance?
DRAT!
Once again the City passes an ordinance without research, public input, term limits, financial limits or a codified protocol that will achieve exactly what the parking meter debacle did:
1) Cost Taxpayers Millions (Please Note: There is NO projected cost of installation of this program and will be determined AFTER the RFP process. And remember, it’s not just cameras, it’s also signage, staffing, hardware & software, work centers & much, much more. )
2) Cost City Drivers Millions – The rules of enforcement for this program are so vague that a person might get a parking ticket if they run by these cameras carrying a license plate. What exactly is a “Safety Zone”? What constitutes “Kids Present”?
3) Reduce the Quality of City Living – From what I can tell, making it difficult to get around the city makes people unhappy. It also makes businesses and retail unhappy. It also makes banks and bondholders unhappy. AND, most importantly, it drives people out of the city.
4) Legal Challenges – Now that the City has taken responsibility for vehicle/pedestrian injuries, does that mean that we can sue the City when this happens? What happens if someone is injured outside a safety zone? Is the City (& TAXPAYERS) guilty of negligence? There are unforseen consequences here (just like the Parking Meter Debable…) that abolutely will bite us in the *ss.
And, worst of all, this flim-flam, money-grubbing ruse will be with us long after Quinn has shuffled off to some think tank, long after Klein has taken some pillow-fight role in Washington and long after the Rahmster has moved up to another office with his rich/shady friends and personal agendas.
We’ve been screwed. Again.
Skyway
Amazing how long it takes to solve Pension Fund problems, & abuses, or even to get a pothole filled – but this sailed thru with little detail & weak analysis in maybe 6 months. Where does the city post voting records of the council? Bunch of two-faced frauds.
Wait for the unintended consequences of this program. There’ll be “waivers” for the officials & their chosen few and a new layer of beuracracy and salaried patronage.
Maybe if you all went the speed limit and didn’t run red lights you wouldn’t get any tickets. Hurray to the City of Chicago. Thank you for making Chicago a better place to live.
I guess I’m so cynical I’m surprised there were even 14 no votes.
I second the previous post where can we find who voted for and against? I already know which State reps voted for this tripe and elections will come soon enough.
The special event(s) will be when you can drive down Irving Park and make the green lights all the way from Cicero to Ashland, not anymore; the cameras put an end to that. There has been no mention of proper traffic engineering techniques in these and other discussions. Chicago does not appear to use proper traffic engineering procedures when it posts speed limits, because it’s not profitable. CDOT also refuses to set traffic signal timing using established engineering formulas by avoiding it and opts to use a “one size fits all approach”. Traffic engineering done for safety is not like a pair of socks, if it’s not done right it’s unsafe, but Chicago’s traffic engineering or the apparent lack thereof takes a back seat to revenue flow. If CDOT used the 85th percentile speed, speed cameras would not be profitable and would not be installed. The 85th percentile speed measures free flowing traffic and if 85 percent are proceeding at 38 MPH then the speed limit should be changed to the closest speed in five MPH increments. In this example the speed limit should be 40 MPH. This process exemplifies why motorists exceed the posted speed limit, because it is not a realistic speed limit. Even CDOT’S web site refers to the approach speed rather than the posted speed limit. This is a reflection of recent change in federal regulations. http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/red-light_cameraenforcement.html
Needless to say Alderman James Balsack is getting something back from Rahm in exchange for his theatrics. Did we actually expect better from the city council of rubber stamps?
When do the cameras start taxing us?
Liar Emmanuel and the 50 thieves. We can save money by replacing the aldermen with Bobblehead dolls. When a vote is called we put the dolls on a table shake it back and forth and all the figurines nod in agreement. No salaries, no costly elections and a shady Washington Insider gets whatever he wants. I voted for this clown boy do I feel STOOPID
Could be July I think
Here’s the list of the aldermen that voted against it from a Tribune article, which includes my alderman, John Arena. I have already written him to thank him for his vote. There were also 3 “absent” which probably means they are cowards.
Aldermen Voting NO were: Arena, Cappleman, Pawar, Osterman, Fioretti, Dowell, Burns, Hairston, Sawyer, Jackson, Chandler, Waguespack, Sposato, and Reilly. Absent were Alds. Maldonado, Reboyras, Graham.
The other 33 aldermen voted yes.
Here’s an article that explains Emanuel’s passion for “pedestrian safety”: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-03-14/news/ct-met-emanuel-speed-cameras-city-council-0315-20120315_1_speed-cameras-mayor-rahm-emanuel-safety-zones
Since Mayor Emanuel hopes not to make any revenue off of the speed cameras (http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/01/30/emanuel-to-quinn-sign-bill-to-allow-speed-cameras-near-schools/) I suggest that all fines collected by the city be donated to the “Ronald McDonald House”, Children Memorial Hospital, Moose Heart or any other number of charities that deal with children. After all, it is about the children.
[...] In bleaker news, the speed camera ordinance passed with flying colors this week. Only 5th Ward Ald. Leslie Hairston publicly spoke out against the [...]
He should be required by law to put all revenue generated by the RLC’s and Speed Cameras into the Cities various Municipal Pension funds that are Underfunded until such time as they are up to where they belong.
CPD and CFD and other funds are 30 and 40 and 50% underfunded.
The effects of all these taxes add up in ways they will never see until it is too late.
The city, county, and state lose residents. Nobody declares to Rahm or Quinn when they leave, they just go. For any various number of reasons. I’m glad they do it. Its all economics right. On the flip, the city and state are left with bigger bills, supported by fewer people paying more taxes, which causes more people to leave and around we go.
Politicians never stop to think that their audience isn’t a captive one. Squeeze and annoy too much, and eventually people just pack up. Then what??
BXK, I pretty much said the same thing above and couldn’t agree more. If I visited a town and got one of those tickets I would consider not paying it and I wouldn’t visit again.