Tag Archives: Chicago red light cameras
Lauzen Announces RLC Oppostion In Kane County Board Race
State Senator Chris Lauzen doesn’t like red light cameras.
That’s why, as a candidate for Kane County Board, he’s holding a press conference Thursday at 2 PM at the intersection of Randall Road and Williamsburg Drive in Geneva–the location of a red light camera intersection.
The intersection is geographically relevant to the primary race Lauzen is in as Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns supported the town’s red light camera program.
Geneva has two red-light cameras on Randall Road, at the intersections of Williamsburg Drive and at Fargo Boulevard.
Speed Camera News Roundup
Governor Quinn jump started last week when he signed the speed camera bill into law.
Of course, this site had its signature comprehensive coverage of the story.
But there’s been a decent number of articles and stories on the subject that our diligent and hardworking editors want to bring to our loyal reader’s attention.
Trib FOIA Stuff
First up is the Chicago Tribune’s self-aggrandizing Freedom of Information story. For months, the Trib has been trying to get its hands on documents related to the speed camera law and reporting every chance they could about the denial of their FOIA requests. They wanted to know what went into the decision making process for spearheading the speed camera law.
Not surprisingly, the newspaper was skeptical about the basis for the city’s safety claims to rationalize speed camera enforcement.
Where Will The Speed Cameras Be? Pretty Much Everywhere
Do you live near or drive through where Chicago could install speed cameras?
The answer is most certainly “Yes!”
The Expired Meter has, via a Freedom of Information request, obtained the list of the 79 locations of red light camera intersections which qualify for speed camera status by their 1/8 mile proximity to a school or park.
And guess what? There’s a probably a speed camera coming to an intersection near you!
Governor Quinn’s Office Seeing Strong Opposition To Chicago Speed Camera Bill
Public Response To SB965 Oppose Bill By 9-1 Margin
People really don’t like Illinois Senate Bill 965.
SB965, also known as the Chicago speed camera bill, would allow the city to begin utilizing its red light camera system to do double duty issuing speeding tickets via the U.S. mail within 1/8 of a mile of a school or park.
But based on constituent feedback received by the Governor’s office, there is strong public opposition to the bill with public sentiment against the legislation heavily outweighing support by a 9-1 margin.
The Governor’s office released a report via a Freedom of Information request by The Expired Meter, that shows the Governor’s office has received a total of 224 phone calls, emails or letters from constituents regarding SB965, of which just 19 were in support of the bill. The other 205–over 91%–were opposed to the bill and urged the Governor to veto it.
In total the Governor’s office received 15 letters (11 opposed, 4 in support), 36 phone calls (35 opposed, 1 in support) and 173 email comments via the Governor’s website (159 opposed, 14 in support).
“I think that’s fantastic, but I’m not surprised.” said Cook County Campaign For Liberty’s Scott Davis about the public response to the bill. “People know speed cameras are not about safety, but about revenue.”
Quinn To Decide On Speed Camera Bill By End Of Month
The end of January.
That’s when Governor Pat Quinn says he’ll make his decision whether to sign or veto Illinois’ speed camera law according to WBEZ radio.
“We’ve done a lot of research on getting information from other cities and other states,” said Quinn. “Anything I do I try to do in a comprehensive manor, and I think that’s important on something like this.”
The law would allow Chicago to utilize its red light camera system to catch drivers exceeding the speed limit at RLC intersections within 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. Fines would range from $50 for speeds of 10 to 15 miles per hour over the posted limit or $100 for 16 miles per hour or more.
Naperville Pulls Plug On Red Light Cameras
Very quietly on January 3rd, west suburban Naperville pulled the plug on its red light camera enforcement program.
City officials voted in November not to renew the optional fourth year of the program due to a myriad of reasons according to the Daily Herald.
Several of the cameras were going to be pulled due to road construction projects, leaving a single camera at the intersection of Ogden and Aurora avenues which only produced two violations a day.
The program generated approximately $186,000 a year in revenue for Illinois’ second largest city.
Gov. Quinn Still Mulling Over Speed Camera Bill?
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn may deliver a belated Christmas present for Chicago drivers according to WBEZ Radio. Then again, maybe not.
The public radio station reports Quinn has been suspiciously quiet about the Illinois bill sitting on his desk which would allow Chicago to start using it’s red light camera system to start issuing $50 and $100 speeding tickets via the mail.
According to the story, Quinn has not even read the bill which was passed by the Illinois General Assembly back on November 9th, which now languishes on his desk awaiting his signature. As the article points out, the governor certainly has not tipped his hand on which way he’s leaning.
Chicago Tribune Gives Quinn Green Light On Speed Cameras
The Chicago Tribune editorial board thinks Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed speed camera program is just fine and dandy.
In fact, the Trib edit board essentially pleading with Governor Pat Quinn to not delay and speedily sign that puppy into law. “Do it for the kids Gov. Quinn!,” is the overriding theme of the piece.
On Sunday, the board’s editorial, entitled “Speeding cameras: Go, governor,” salivated over the idea giving readers such insightful platitudes as “If you don’t speed, you won’t have to pay.”
The editorial also cites alleged “safety studies” done by the city as evidence the program is a super, duper idea, even though the newspaper’s own reporting found significant flaws in how the city interpreted their own data. In fact, the city’s own numbers showed that most juvenile pedestrian deaths due to car crash were on side streets–not on busier thoroughfares.
Not So Fast! Quinn Considers Speed Camera Veto?
When the Chicago speed camera bill sped from the Illinois Senate and then through the state House in record time, prevailing thought would be it would get the signature of the Governor in short order.
But, not so fast.
It seems Governor Pat Quinn may be putting the brakes on the speed camera bill in the form of a veto.
Talking to WLS-AM radio host Roe Conn on Windy City Live television morning show Friday, asked Quinn if was going to sign the speed camera bill.
While not committing one way or another, Quinn seemed to be have some healthy skepticism of the bill.
“Well, I haven’t seen the legislation yet…” said Quinn. “But we’re going to put it under a microscope.”
Quinn went on to liken the speed and process of how the bill got passed to how Chicago’s parking meter lease deal got passed and intimated he would not like to see a repeat of that fiasco.
BREAKING: State House Passes Speed Camera Law
Look out Chicago!
Springfield is sending speed cameras your way.
Late Wednesday afternoon, after some heated debate and some minor tweaking to SB965, the bill passed out of the Illinois House by a vote of 64-50.
The state Senate burned rubber passing the bill earlier in the fall veto session, so the bill heads back to the Senate for most likely quick passage to the House amendments, and then to Gov. Quinn’s desk for his signature.
