The new deadline listed in a bid addendum dated May 10th, is now May 24th.

The City was confident its original deadline of April 16th, would give them ample time for a review of the bids, short list two potential vendors for pilot tests, perform a 30-day pilot, select a winning vendor and negotiate a contract by July 31st–when the current contract with Redflex Traffic Systems was supposed to expire.

A previous delay forced the City to admit it could not meet the July 31st deadline and extend the scandal plagued Redflex’s contract indefinitely until a new vendor could be selected and can transition to the new RLC system.

Based on the timeline the City’s speed camera contract has taken, Redflex may continue to run the nation’s largest and highly lucrative red light camera contract until the end of the year.

The City’s first speed cameras were supposed to be clicking away by the end of March. The original request for proposal (RFP) was issued last June, and while the city awarded the contract to American Traffic Solutions back in February, a contract still has not been finalized and announced.

These delays are certainly financially beneficial to Redflex which generates an estimated $800,000 a month from Chicago’s 384 red light cameras at 190 different intersections. The company brought in $10 million in revenue from their contract with Chicago in 2012, and over $100 million during the lifetime of the ten years it has been the vendor for the City’s RLC program.

Critics say, a report released Tuesday by the Chicago Inspector General’s Office backs up their claims and, according to one alderman, undermines the basis for the program’s existence.

“Our audit uncovered little evidence that the overarching program strategy, guidelines, or appropriate metrics are being used to ensure the [Red Light Camera] program is being executed to the best benefit of the City or the general public,” the report summarized.

“Specifically, we found a lack of basic record keeping and an alarming lack of analysis for an ongoing program that costs tens of millions of dollars a year and generates tens of millions more in revenue.”

The inspector general’s office started an audit of the city’s extensive red light camera program earlier this year in response to revelations of an internal investigation by current vendor Redflex Traffic Systems. That investigation, headed by former Inspector General David Hoffman, alleges employees for Redflex may have bribed the former city official overseeing the city’s RLC program.

Read more at DNA Info Chicago.

27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett speaks at a community meeting at Intuit Art Gallery to discuss proposed protected bike lanes along Milwaukee Ave. Tuesday evening. Photo credit: Alisa Hauser/DNA Info Chicago.

The city’s push for more protected bike lanes seems to be getting a little push back.

At a community meeting in the River West neighborhood Tuesday evening, residents, business owners and bike riders joined city officials to discuss the proposed Milwaukee Avenue protected bike lanes between Kinzie St. and Elston Ave.

According to DNA Info Chicago, not everyone at the meeting was overjoyed about the idea. In fact, it got a bit heated at times according to the story.

Perhaps they were surprised by what seems to be a more aggressive plan to remove parking spots that what’s been floated up until now. Initial reports had for very few parking spots to be removed. The drawings presented Tuesday evening indicated 50% of the parking along that nearly one mile strip of Milwaukee would be gobbled up. Some, but not all of those spots are metered which could present a financial impact on the city due to the terms of the parking meter lease deal.

Here’s how DNA Info’s Alisa Hauser laid it out for readers.

The near one-mile stretch of Milwaukee Avenue — a busy stretch of road that sees 500 cyclists per hour on average — will lose 50 percent of its on-street parking, according to David Smith, a planner who was contracted by the city to manage CDOT’s Bikeways project. The project seeks to build 100 miles of protected bike lanes by 2015.

Smith said 55 to 60 spaces will be eliminated while 50 to 55 new spaces could be potentially found on side streets off of Milwaukee Avenue.

Options to find new parking included changing a side street from two-way to one-way for the propose of creating 10 new parking spots.

On Erie Street between Milwaukee and Halsted, Smith said permit parking is “underutilized” and they could “modify residential permit parking to increase access to 25 spots.”

“Our goal is to lose almost no parking for cars,” Smith said.

According to DNA Info, many business owners, residents and drivers complained about the plan claiming parking is already scarce at points along the proposed route.

Streetsblog Chicago writer John Greenfield was also at the meeting, but he described people critical of the plan as grousing drivers.

Here’s DNA Info Chicago’s full report, “Residents Not Happy with Plan to Ditch Parking for Protected Bike Lanes.”

But also read Greenfield’s report which published more of the technical details and graphic illustrations of the proposed plan.

Here’s Streetsblog Chicago’s version, “CDOT Unveils Bold Vision for Milwaukee Bike Lanes; Drivers Grouse.”

At least that’s what the Chicago Tribune is contending in a story which claims problems with Redflex Traffic Systems and the city’s red light camera contract were being pointed out as far back as 2006.

It seems after Redflex was awarded a contract expanding the size and scope of the city’s red light camera program in 2007, one of its biggest competitors, American Traffic Solutions, began complaining about what they perceived as special treatment for Redflex.

In 2006, ATS hired the law firm of Alderman Ed Burke, the powerful head of the city’s Finance Committee, to help the company bid on the new contract. But when ATS first met with the city, they were told Redflex had already been awarded the exclusive contract without going through the bidding process.

Burke’s firm found problems with how Redflex was awarded the contract and threatened to hold public hearings in the City Council if the contract was not opened to a competitive bidding process.

In a series of letters to top mayoral aides, Burke accused the administration of illegal procurement practices, “unfathomable” failures to meet minority hiring requirements, and labeled the relationship with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc. “suspect since its inception.”

Ultimately, after a year of back and forth between Burke and the Mayor’s office, the Daley Administration relented and allowed for other company’s to bid on the contract. Ultimately, Redflex still won out, somehow, mysteriously, winning the bid with a perfect score.

It’s probably no coincidence, Ald. Burke is now calling for hearings on the entire Redflex controversy.

The story is a juicy, behind the scenes look at how the sausage is made when it comes to awarding multi-million dollar contracts in the Windy City.

Here’s the full story, “Warnings about Redflex go back years.”

That’s seems to be the moral of the story from an altercation on the South Side around 4 AM Sunday morning.

According to a report in Huffington Post Chicago, a driver was double-parked on a side street in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood when another driver approached and tried to drive past.

Although some reports say there was enough room for other cars to pass, the driver of one car got in a heated argument with the double-parked driver and his female passenger.

The gunman shot the driver while he was outside the car. The gunshot victim then ran into an alley before being picked up by an ambulance.

Perhaps, there is a lesson in this story.

That less is: if at all possible don’t double-park. And if do and you’re asked to move your car to let other cars pass, maybe you should take a quick ride around the block instead of arguing.

Many drivers feel they have a right to block traffic and inconvenience others by double-parking. Often, legal parking spots are nearby. Walking a few feet or even a block never hurt anyone.

In a pinch, drivers could pull into the open spaces adjacent to a fire hydrant, if you have to pull over for just a moment.

The good news is, the driver who was shot is expected to recover.

But our guess is he won’t be double-parking any time soon.

Here’s the Huffington Post’s roundup of news accounts covering this story, “Man Double-Parked Shot In Head: Cops Say Dispute Over Parking Sparked Gun Violence.”

Sign courtesy of SafetySign.com.

The aftermath and wreckage of the early morning crash on Lake Shore Drive. Photo courtesy and copyright Erica Demarest and DNA Info Chicago.

A wrong way driver caused a major crash killing two people and closing down the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive early Friday morning.

According to DNA Info Chicago, around 4 AM, a possibly drunk driver entered the southbound lanes of LSD at La Salle Street and ended up striking two other vehicles between Belmont and Diversey around 4 AM Friday.

The southbound lanes were subsequently closed to investigate the crash. However, the closure causes major rush hour delays all over the city’s Northside.

With traffic unable to gain access to Lake Shore Drive, traffic backed up for blocks and in some cases miles along both major arteries and side streets.

Lake Shore Drive was re-opened around 9 AM.

The driver of the wrong way vehicle survived and was hospitalized.

Here’s DNA Info Chicago’s full story, “Wrong-Way Driver Caused Fatal Lake Shore Drive Crash, Cops Say.”

UPDATE: Saturday, an off duty police officer from suburban North Chicago was criminally charged in connection with this fatal car crash according to DNA Info Chicago.

A sign warns drivers of red light cameras at Kedzie & Irving Park

Could red light cameras be used to give out parking tickets, too?

The City of Chicago, while searching for a new vendor to operate its controversial red light camera program, is asking bidders for ideas on how else to use the cameras, including spotting parking violators.

The city insists it’s just asking at this point and has no plans to use the red light cameras to ticket drivers for anything other than running red lights.

But one critic said the aggressiveness of the city’s camera enforcement “makes my hair stand on end.”

“Chicago has to be the most predatory camera city in the country,” said James Walker, executive director of the National Motorists Association Foundation.

Read more at DNA Info Chicago.

A sign warns drivers of red light camera enforcement at Foster & Broadway

Chicago’s embattled red light camera vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems, released a report Monday detailing improper and potentially criminal behavior by the company, a hired consultant and a former city official.

The report has prompted one alderman, Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd), to call for a halt to an effort by the city to seek a new five-year contract for the city’s red light camera program.

The filing with the Australian Securities Exchange by Redflex Holdings, the parent company of Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems, summarizes a report by Sidley Austin, the company hired to investigate potential ethical issues brought to light by the Chicago Tribune in October, 2012.

Headed by former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman, the report contends the company’s relationship with former Chicago Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner John Bills, who oversaw the city’s red light camera program, was not only improper but “will likely be considered bribery by the authorities.”

According to the report, Redflex paid for vacation-related expenses for at least 17 separate trips taken by Bills between 2003 and 2010. This included hotel rooms, airline flights, car rentals, meals and golf games. Bills also received a computer and played golf and ate meals locally on the company’s dime here in Chicago.

Read more at DNA Info Chicago

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

NBC 5 News did an investigative piece on Chicago’s red light cameras Tuesday night.

While not really breaking any new ground in its news report, NBC 5 did list the top five revenue producing red light camera intersections in Chicago Tuesday night.

For 2012, these five intersections produced $8 million collectively or almost 12% of all red light camera revenue.

Remember, Chicago has 191 intersections with RLCs.  So these five represent not even 3% of the city’s total camera intersections.

Also, friend of this site,UIC Professor Rajiv Shah, makes an appearance in the report explaining his research seems to undermine the city’s assertions the cameras improve safety.

Here’s NBC 5′s full story and video.

A red light cameras stands watch at Damen & Division in Wicker Park

Chicago’s red light camera program will soon be facing more scrutiny and this time it’s from Chicago’s City Council.

At last Wednesday’s monthly City Council meeting, Aldermen John Arena (45th), Bob Fioretti (2nd) and Scott Waguespack (32nd) introduced a resolution calling for hearings questioning whether red light cameras are being installed to improve safety or to maximize revenue for the city. A total of 24 aldermen signed onto the resolution.

Chicago’s red light camera program is the nation’s largest with 384 cameras at 191 intersections, generating tens of millions of dollars in revenue every year.

While the program is entering its 10th year, it’s faced little scrutiny or oversight since it’s inception in 2003. When the program was started and then expanded under former Mayor Richard Daley, there was little if any opposition.

But the recent revelations that the city’s RLC vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems, had routinely provided free hotel accommodations and tickets to sporting events to the former Chicago Department of Transportation Deputy Commissioner in charge of the program, have energized alderman to get some answers.

Alderman Arena, who penned the resolution says the recent move by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to block Redflex from bidding on the RLC and speed camera contracts was instrumental in moving him to hold hearings.

“It’s a pretty aggressive move for Chicago,” said Arena of what Mayor Emanuel did. “In that regard I’ll compliment the Mayor. But what are we going to do going forward? We want the hearings to assuage the fears of citizens who feel that it’s all about revenue.”

“I don’t think I had much trust in the red light camera program to begin with, but when we saw CDOT employees caught in a corrupt scandal to benefit from the program, we said let’s go back and have a full blown hearing on every aspect of the program,” said Waugespack. “We want a complete hearing on what’s been going on with this program and the data that’s gone into determining what intersections get cameras.”

Waguespack explained he, Arena, Fioretti and a handful of other aldermen over the years have had questions regarding the process that goes into determining where cameras are installed, whether intersections are selected to improve safety or bring in the most revenue, what happens to the hundreds of millions of dollars generated by the program and if any of it used to improve safety on Chicago’s streets?

“For years we’ve asked at budget hearings ‘what have you done with a fairly large amount of of money to improve intersections?’ and you kind of get the runaround,” said Waguespack. “Where and how has this revenue been utilized–specifically? Specifically, how many dollars are going into pedestrian timers, crosswalk markings, and other traffic safety improvements.”

Arena, while not necessarily against the use of red light cameras, does not believe it should be the only tool to improve safety on city streets.

“I do not believe in the silver bullet mentality–there’s never just one solution to a problem,” said Arena. “Is the only answer a red light camera? We have an arsenal of tools to work with. We can’t be myopic about the solutions available to us. Has a traffic engineer looked at an intersection and says something else besides an RLC would be more effective?”

Brian Costin, of the nonpartisan, pro-free market Illinois Policy Institute also believes asking questions is a great idea. Costin, after reading many of the research studies trying to gauge the effectiveness of red light cameras, is skeptical they improve safety. Some research studies show the cameras improve safety while just as many others show the cameras have little or no effect.

Costin actually questions the underlying premise of the cameras.

“Hearings would be a good thing,” said Costin. “But you need to ask about the root premises about red light camera enforcement. Are the fines we are collecting from citizens worth the safety benefits? I would say the studies are inconclusive at best. We need to have a meaningful conversation on whether we should have red light cameras at all.”

The city’s RLC program has been a consistent revenue producer having generated close to $70 million dollars for the last three years and a whopping $375 million over from 2003 through 2012 according to new data provided by the Department of Finance.

According to city budgets every penny of revenue generated by this program goes into the city’s general fund, without being specifically earmarked for traffic safety or even general transportation spending.

“That’s always been bothersome,” said Waguespack.

Further fueling questions regarding RLC site selection is eye brow raising revenue data on the city’s top ten money producing intersections in the city.

These intersections include 99th & Halsted, Belmont & Kedzie, Lake Shore Drive & Belmont, Kostner & North, Hollywood & Sheridan, California & Diversey, 87th & Vincennes, Van Buren & Western, Peterson & Western and Cortland & Ashland.

Just through 2011, these ten intersections collectively generated over $58 million since 2003. These intersections, while representing only 5% of the city’s total RLC locations brought in 19% of the program’s total revenue.

The resolution has been assigned to the Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Both Arena and Waguespack hopes to have hearings in April or May but are awaiting independent audits from the Mayor’s Office and the Inspector General’s Office on these issues.