Chicago Red Light Camera Locations

Response from my State Representative about Speed Cameras

2011-11-28T22:49:00.001-06:00

I received the email below today from my IL State Representative. My plea to vote no on this bill didn't work, but it sounds like we might still have a chance to convince the Governor not to sign this bill.

Thank you for contacting me about Senate Bill 965 that would allow red light cameras in Chicago to document and ticket speeding violations under certain circumstances.

The cameras operating in school zones could only be active between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Friday. The cameras operating in park district zones could only be active from one hour before park opening to one hour after park close.

Speeding violations between 6 and 10 miles per hour over the speed limit would be subject to a $50 fine and speeding violations more than 10 miles per hour over the speed limit would be subject to a $100 fine.

Lake Shore Drive and highways with 8 or more lanes are excluded from this bill.

The city is required to post signs giving at least 30 days’ notice before issuing citations. As with the red light cameras, all citations must be reviewed and approved by a technician before issuance. The revenue generated from the tickets would be used for school safety and school transportation. Some of the funds would also be earmarked for after-school programs.

As of today, Senate Bill 965 has not been sent to the Governor who has yet to indicate whether or not he supports the bill. Should he choose to sign it, the bill would become effective on July 1, 2012.

Illinois House approves school zone speeding cameras

2011-11-11T08:21:00.000-06:00

I found this article on WGN's website. Hopefully they will make this about safety around schools and not just about generating revenue.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill.— Chicago will be allowed to use its red-light cameras to catch speeders in school zones and near city parks.

The Illinois House of Representatives approved the speed cameras Thursday and sent the bill back to the senate for minor changes.

The school cameras will operate only on school days. Cameras near city parks would turn on one hour before the parks open, and turn off an hour after they close.

If a camera catches you driving 6 miles per hour over the speed limit, you'll get a $50 ticket; if you exceed the speed limit by 11 miles per hour or more, the ticket will rise to $100.

Governor Pat Quinn says he wants to take a look at the bill. He hasn't given any indication he might veto it.

Would speed cameras really save lives?

2011-11-06T14:12:00.002-06:00

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune today, the answer is only 4.

Rahm Emanuel likes to say that his "goal is only one thing, the safety of our kids", but when the Tribune looks at the numbers, his plan would only have saved 4 children's lives. Here's how the numbers play out.

Total pedestrian deaths, 2005-2009
251

Of those: Deaths in proposed 'safety zone'
118

Of those: Deaths involving speeding
26

Of those: Deaths in which the victim was a child
4

So although everyone wants to increased safety for our kids in Chicago, this doesn't seem to make a huge dent in that. One thing that Rahm fails to mention is the revenue that these cameras will generate for our cash strapped city. According to the article, red light cameras generated $69 million for Chicago in 2010, that was up more than $10 million from the previous year.

My concern isn't that I will get caught speeding in the city, it is the fairness of these cameras. I saw first hand how unforgiving these cameras could be when I received my first (and hopefully last) red light ticket for not making a complete stop before turning right on red. I went before the judge and after viewing the video, she said this is the closest I've seen, but technically you didn't make a complete stop and I was slapped with a $100 fine. If a Chicago Police Officer was behind me, he wouldn't have pulled me over for such a thing. That to me is about revenue generating and not public safety. I created this blog shortly thereafter to warn others about these cameras.

All these red light cameras do is back up traffic for people who are cautious and don't want to get a ticket so they slow down and then speed through and one car gets through an intersection that normally 3 or 4 cars could've went through safely on a green light. OR people slam on their brakes and almost get rear-ended so they don't get a ticket. This is not my idea of public safety. We have already heard about the ways these red light camera companies are about generating revenue and are tying the hands of our city officials who try to minimize accidents by making sure that yellow lights meet the 3 second rule before turning red.

My fear is that these speed cameras (which with this law could cover nearly half the city) are going to clock you going 1 mph over the speed limit and issue you a $100 fine. To me that isn't about safety, that's about revenue.

If you want to lower pedestrian deaths from vehicles in Chicago, how about enforcing the laws that say pedestrians need to cross at cross walks and no jaywalking. Or how about issuing fines to pedestrians who cross the street without looking both ways. These same pedestrians are probably listening to their iPOD and can't hear a horn honk or they are texting and not looking up at all. That is the real problem with public safety. Sure drivers need to be more careful, but pedestrians and parents of small children need to make sure that all parties are being responsible. That is the true way to reduce deaths. Sure it isn't a fancy decision and it won't generate revenue, but it will save lives.

OR if you want to help the city out and lower unemployment, why don't we hire more police officers and have them enforce these rules. I'd like the police to issue tickets to those people who drive recklessly. You know the ones that go into the right hand lane (that is ending soon) so when the light turns green, they can slam on the gas and cut everybody off. To me that is more of a driving hazard than speeding or being in the middle of the intersection when the light turns red.

If you agree, I encourage you to write your IL State Representative and encourage them to vote against this bill. They could vote on it as early as this week. You can find out who your state representative is here.

Illinois Official Search

2011-11-05T15:34:00.000-05:00

Use this website to find out who is representing you in the Illinois Senate and Illinois House of Representatives.

http://www.elections.illinois.gov/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx

Reach out to your IL Representative and Senator to express your concerns.

2011-11-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Study Warns of Speed Camera Contract Traps

Mayor Rahm Emanuel's red-light speeding camera concept is moving forward. But a report from the Illinois PIRG warns lawmakers to slow down.

The Illinois Senate on Wednesday approved Emanuel's idea to outfit existing red-light cameras in Chicago with speed sensors at intersections near schools and parks. The proposal meant to curb accidents passed 32-24 and now moves to the House.

But an Illinois PIRG report says outsourced speeding enforcement such as the one being considered may not have the public's interests at heart.

"Nationally, automated traffic ticketing tends to be governed by contracts that focus more on profits than safety,” said Celeste Meiffren, Illinois PIRG field director. “That shouldn’t happen.”

The report says contracts between private camera vendors and other municipalities include payment incentives, and others have ticket quotas with potential penalties for cities that don't approve enough tickets.

Meiffren said Illinois and Chicago have implemented protections for the public in these contracts. Still, as the expanded bill is considered, she said the city should be aware of pitfalls that could undermine local officials’ authority.

“Our report found that too many cities wrongly sign away power to ensure the safety of citizens on the roads when they privatize traffic law enforcement," Meiffren said.

She points out Redflex Traffic Systems, the company Chicago has a contract with for 380 red-light cameras, used more than 100 lobbyists to secure contracts in 18 different states, including Illinois.

The report suggests cities avoid incentives for vendors based on volume of tickets, retain public control of traffic policy and put public safety first in the decision.

Emanuel has said this bill is all about public safety. In a Wednesday statement, his office called the Senate vote a "victory for Chicago and Chicago's families."

"It's all about safety and protecting our children and providing safe zones and safe havens for our children," said Ald. Michelle Harris (8th).

BY // Thursday, Oct 27, 2011 at 12:35 CDT

Source: http://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/ward-room/Study-Warns-Against-Speed-Camers-132709143.html

PIRG - New Report Outlines Problems with Red-Light and Speed Cameras

2011-11-05T15:20:00.002-05:00

News Release from 10/27/11

First Nationwide Study Finds 1-in-5 Americans Live Where Traffic Cameras Used; Recommends Ten Safeguards to Protect Municipalities and Drivers

A new research report released today outlines problems with the growing trend among cities to outsource traffic enforcement to red-light and speed camera vendors.

“Too many cities wrongly sign away power to ensure the safety of citizens on the roads when they privatize traffic law enforcement. Automated traffic ticketing tends to be governed by contracts that focus more on profits than safety.” said Phineas Baxandall Ph.D., the Senior Analyst for Tax and Budget Policy at the Public Interest Research Group and a co-author of the report. “That shouldn’t happen,” Baxandall added.

The report, titled Caution: Red Light Cameras Ahead; The Risks of Privatizing Traffic Law Enforcement and How to Protect the Public finds that approximately half of states enable the use of automated traffic law enforcement. Municipalities in these states contract with private companies to operate cameras and issue citations to drivers. Citizens often object to privatized forms of traffic enforcement and many municipalities have found themselves in legal trouble when they attempt to change or update these contracts. Traffic engineering alternatives, such as lengthening yellow lights, are often the best way to reduce injuries from red-light running. However, those solutions often get ignored because of the focus on increasing revenue from tickets.

The nationwide policy study finds that 1-in-5 Americans live in jurisdictions with traffic camera ticketing contracts. It describes which kind of contracts are most problematic for the public: those that create a direct financial incentive to issue more tickets and create penalties that limit the public’s ability to lengthen yellow light intervals or other alternative ways to promote traffic safety.

California is one state that has seen over a hundred cities contracting for automated traffic enforcement and often running into lawsuits and other scandals. According to a statement by California state senator Joe Simitian in reaction to the report, “I believe traffic tickets should be only issued to improve public safety, not to raise revenue. Regrettably, that’s not what happens in some jurisdictions. In too many cases, issues of accuracy, privacy, and due process are taking a back seat to the profit motive. I think we can keep folks safe and still give the driving public a fair shake.”

According to Gary Biller, the Executive Director of the National Motorists Association, “This report is a must-read for city administrators in municipalities considering the addition of red light cameras, for authorities in communities that already have ticket cameras, and for motorists who are subjected to the privatized, for-profit automated traffic enforcement scheme known as red light cameras.”

The report recommends stronger guidelines to ensure that automated traffic enforcement programs focus on improving road safety, rather than ticket revenue. Deals between local governments and traffic camera vendors should:

• Put public safety first in decisions regarding enforcement of traffic laws – this includes evaluating privatized law enforcement camera systems against alternative options without regard to potential revenues.

• Ensure that contract language is free from potential conflicts of interest.

• Avoid direct or indirect incentives for vendors that are based on the volume of tickets or fines.

• Retain public control over traffic policy and engineering decisions, including cancelling contracts if the public is dissatisfied.

• Ensure that the process of contracting with vendors is completely open, with ample opportunity for public participation and each ticket listing where to find online data about automated ticketing for each intersection.

“Some states have a real mess with their red-light camera programs. Other states are now wading into the waters. We’d like to see states that already have camera programs reform them and states considering programs learn from the mistakes of others,” said Ryan Pierannunzi, an associate with U.S. PIRG.

The report can be accessed at this link: http://www.uspirg.org/trafficcamreport

Watch Out For Speed Cameras As Well

2011-08-28T14:00:00.001-05:00

According to Driving University, these locations have Both Red Light & Speed Cameras:
Austin Ave. and Addison St
Irving Park Rd and Austin Ave
Irving Park Rd and Central Ave

The same website also states that the fine at these locations is $90. All other locations have a fine of $100. If anyone has received a ticket from these locations and can confirm the lower fine, please leave a comment.

Red Light Camera Location Changes

2011-08-28T12:04:00.001-05:00

I admit that it has been a while since I've updated this blog and website, but I was surprised to see that some locations have been deleted. Up until now, the city has just been adding locations. Now it looks like they are taking some down, moving them, and adding more. At first I just thought the city was trying to pull one over on me, but then I remembered warning my parents about the camera at the corner of Irving Park & Western, but then when we passed the intersection, I couldn't see the cameras anywhere. So I confirmed myself that they have been in fact taking down cameras.

There are now 190 camera locations.

These are the intersections that no longer have a camera in place so no need to slam on the brakes at these intersections anymore. The city is quite wise to do this as I didn't even notice that they took the camera down.

Ashland & Roosevelt
Fullerton & Kedzie
Ontario & Kingsbury
State & Roosevelt
Western & Irving Park

These are the newest locations that have been added in the last 12 months:
Clark & Chicago
Illinois & Columbus
Kedzie & 26th
Central & Addison
Kostner & Division
Laramie & Madison

Click here for a list of all the intersections along with maps.

Website Updated

2010-03-14T19:57:00.000-05:00

I got a tip from another concerned resident who informed me of a website that has an up to date list of all the intersections that have red light cameras in the city of Chicago. So I've added all the intersections to my website and mapped them all out.

There are now 187 red light cameras in the city of Chicago. All of the intersections highlighted in yellow are new ones that I added to the map.

As always, if you know of any other intersections, please send me an email.

Confessions of a Chicago Red Light Ticketing Camera

2010-02-01T17:43:00.001-06:00

I just received an email with the link below ... some very interesting stuff here about Chicago's Red Light Cameras. Thank you Barnet!

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrBFagel#p/a/u/0/njbG6Yeg3s0

New Camera - Irving Park & Elston

2009-07-21T22:34:00.004-05:00

I just noticed a new red light camera up on Irving Park and Elston. It isn't listed on the City of Chicago website and there weren't any signs warning you of the photo enforced intersection, but I saw the cameras on Irving Park. It will be added to the map soon.

Red Light Camera Bill

2009-06-18T18:24:00.002-05:00

I just received this email today. Well if we can't get rid of the red light cameras, this would at least be a start to making them a little more fare.

Hi, just wanted you to be aware that a bill sponsored by Kenneth Dunkin,
5th district Representative, is in Rules committee now. It states that all intersections with red light cameras should have yellow lights lasting from 3 to 6 seconds. We know darn well Chicago has yellow lights at some of these intersections set for less than 3 seconds. Please write the Sponsor and the 5 Representatives on the Rules Committee for House Bill: HB3713 and encourage them to not delay this any longer and to quickly pass this to force Chicago to be decent about yellow light time settings.

Sponsor and representatives names are below and in attachment.

Thanks.
C.Y.
Rogers Park

House Sponsor for bill HB3713:
Representative Kenneth Dunkin (D)
5th District

Springfield Office:
278-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
2177824535

District Office:
1543 North
Wells Street
Chicago, IL 60610
3122660340

Members of Rules
Committee for HB3713

Representative Barbara Flynn Currie (D)
25th District
Majority Leader

Springfield Office:
300 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
2177828121

District Office:
1303 E. 53rd Street
Chicago, IL 60615
7736670550

Representative William B. Black (R)
104th District
Deputy Republican Leader

Springfield Office:
314 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
2177824811

District Office:
7 E. Fairchild
Danville, IL 61832
2174311986

Representative Lou Lang (D)
16th District
Deputy Majority Leader

Springfield Office:
109 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
2177821252

District Office:
4121 Main Street
Skokie, IL 60076
8476731131

Representative Timothy L. Schmitz (R)
49th District
Deputy Republican Leader

Springfield Office:
224-N Stratton
Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
2177825457

District Office:
127 Hamilton Street
Suite D
Geneva, IL 60134
6308459590

Representative Arthur L. Turner (D)
9th District
Deputy Majority
Leader

Springfield Office:
300 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL 62706
2177828116

District Office:
3849 W. Ogden Avenue
Chicago, IL 60623
7732774700

Class Action Lawsuit

2009-06-17T23:37:00.002-05:00

I received this email today. I do not know anything about this person, but I figured I would share just in case anyone is interested.

I am beginning to recruit clients for a class action. I was hoping
you might include a link to a page on my website that explains how to contact
me.

The subject of the class action is proprietary at this point,
but I hope to file it within a month. I would be happy to update you on
the progress if you can assist me.

The webpage can be found at www.camerainfractions.com.

Thank
you.

Steve Rosen
Attorney at Law
800 5th Avenue, 40th
Floor
Seattle, WA 98104
Direct: (206) 892-2221
Office: (206)
333-3633

New Cameras Added

2009-06-08T19:08:00.003-05:00

After receiving an email, I just updated the website with 4 new locations.

There are now cameras at:
Central & Belmont
Cornell & 57th
Stony & 89th

There is one reported at Western & Addison, however the City of Chicago website doesn't list this one yet. I haven't confirmed it myself, but as soon as I get down that way, I'll send out an update.

What Does a Red Light Intersection Look Like?

2008-10-29T17:57:00.000-05:00

It would be great if you could memorize where all of the red light cameras were located and drive cautiously thru those intersections. However, I realize that you can't memorize the entire list. So, I thought it would be helpful to let you see what to look for so you know where the red light cameras are located.

Almost all of the locations are marked by one of these signs.

This is what the actual camera looks like.

I have also seen cameras above the actual red light signal. I will try to get a picture of that and post it soon.

Updated Camera List

2008-10-22T19:29:00.000-05:00

Well it looks like I made my last post a day too soon because I got an email yesterday saying that the City of Chicago website has now been updated.

The website now has all of the additional cameras that I had listed along with 20 more that haven't been activated yet. So now there are 139 red light cameras in the City of Chicago.

If you click on the list of intersections, the last 20 are the ones that haven't been activated yet, but they will be soon so please be careful. All 139 are now on the map.

As always, if you have Microsoft MapPoint and would like a copy of the file, send me an email and I will gladly email you the file. Or if you would like me to map out your route to work or any other regular route that you drive, just let me know and I can email you an html file so you don't need MapPoint to view.

New Red Light Camera

2008-10-19T16:13:00.002-05:00

I noticed a new red light camera on Friday on my way to work at ...

N Kilpatrick Ave & W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL 60641

I double checked the Official City of Chicago website and they still only have the list of 112 intersections. My official tally is now up to 116.

I will update the maps shortly.

Search for Tickets Online

2008-09-09T18:01:00.001-05:00

I received an email today from someone who was going out of town and was concerned that they may be getting a red light ticket in the mail. They were wondering how long it usually takes to get the tickets.

I don't have an exact answer, but I do know it can take a while. I believe they have up to 30 days to send you a ticket. However, you can always check their website to see if there are any tickets for your car. This website is from the City of Chicago Department of Revenue (don't you just hate that they are called the department of revenue) and you can search for all tickets not just the red light ones.

I used the search by license plate section and entered in my license plate and last name and all the tickets I've ever received show up. Luckily there aren't any on there that I didn't know about.

If anyone can confirm the 30 day rule or if it is some other time frame, please let me know.

New Blog - Same Great Info

2008-08-30T15:45:00.004-05:00

I've decided to close down my old blog and use this one for the sole purpose of informing people of the latest Chicago Red Light Camera Updates. The list of the intersections and maps of all of the intersections are still on the same site, but now we have a different blog to talk about them.

If you would like a copy of the Microsoft MapPoint file or if you would like me to map out your route to work to see which red light camera intersections you come across each day, please send me an email, Chicag0Resident@aol.com (that's Chicag0 with a zero not the letter o).

Chicago's Red Light Camera Locations

2008-08-20T10:51:00.000-05:00

I just saw another intersection that I added to the list that isn't on the City of Chicago Website. There is now a camera on Irving Park Road and Ashland. I updated my site and the map.

So we are now up to 115 cameras in the city.

I hope the city starts to lower the sales tax and my property taxes with all the revenue they are raking in with these damn cameras.

If anyone has Microsoft MapPoint and would like a copy of the file with all of the intersections, leave me a comment and make sure to fill out your email address and I will send it along. I mapped out my route to work so I could see exactly which intersections I drive past everyday that have a red light camera.

Chicago Intersections with Red Light Cameras - Update

2008-08-15T17:34:00.000-05:00

The city of Chicago website now lists 112 intersections that have a Red Light Camera. I've found 2 more that aren't on the website yet. So there are now a total of 114 cameras on the list and mapped out.

I put this website together after receiving a ticket from a red light camera as a public service so everybody knows to be extra careful at these intersections. I figured the map gave everybody a better idea of where they are located. I looked at my route to the train station every morning and know exactly which red light cameras I pass everyday.

If anyone knows of any other intersections that aren't on the list, please let me know by leaving a comment.

If anyone has the program Microsoft MapPoint and you would like a copy of the map so you can check your specific routes, leave me a comment and make sure to include your email address and I will email you the file.

Chicago's Red Light Cameras

2007-12-10T21:07:00.003-06:00

Since my original post, I've done some research. It turns out someone is already making a map of all of the red light intersections in Chicago (and other cities). However, their list has duplicates. But if you live in a city other than Chicago, this is a great list to start out with.

Thanks to MJ, I found that the City of Chicago website lists all of the intersections with Red Light Cameras.

I got the list and mapped all 59 locations of Chicago's Red Light Cameras. Let me know what you think.

I was happy to see that I only pass one red light intersection on my way to the train station every morning.

Chicago Red Light Cameras

2007-12-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

I have had this on my mind for a while now, but I didn't take the time to write about it.

Chicago Red Light Cameras

WTF!!!!!!

This would be a great idea if made the streets of Chicago safer. Instead it is nothing more than a revenue generator. You know, I used to like Daley (before I knew anything about him or what he does), but now that he has raised my property taxes and wants to raise the amount of these tickets (it is already $90), I've had a change of heart.

I got a ticket in the mail a couple of months ago for the intersection of Foster and Western in Chicago. Be careful, there is a camera at this intersection. From the pictures, it was obvious to me that I made a right turn on red. I am usually very cognizant of the No Turn on Red signs so after I got the ticket, I went to the intersection to see if there was a sign there. No signs so I took pictures and was ready to take this ticket to court.

At the hearing, the judge reviewed the case and asked me why I was disputing it. When I told her that I made a turn on red and that wasn't prohibited there and I wasn't sure why I got the ticket. She said that the no turn on red wasn't the issue and asked me how long I was at the light. How in the hell am I suppose to remember was the first response that jumped into my head, but did I was addressing "your honor", I said well from the pictures it looks like I had to wait for a truck in oncoming traffic to complete their left hand turn and then when the intersection was clear, I made the right turn. To that she replied, how long do you think you were there. So I said a couple of seconds. What I didn't know is that along with the pictures that I got in the mail, there is video. So she reviewed the video and then said oh you are so close. This is the closest that I've seen, but technically you didn't make a complete stop and you rolled. She asked if I would like to see the video and I said I sure would and sure enough, I was the closest thing to a stop that you can do, but technically wasn't stopped long enough and was guilty of the $90 ticket. What got me is that she said this is the closest I've seen, but sorry. She also told me there was a guy who did make a complete stop but it was over the white line so he was guilty as well. To that I say WTF? If there was a cop sitting right behind me, he wouldn't have given me a ticket for that. But she did make me feel better when she said this doesn't go on your record as a moving violation. That made me happy because I don't have any moving violations or any violations on my record, but then it just pissed me off. If I did go through a red light, that is a moving violation. The fact that they don't see it that way, just exposes it as a revenue generator.

So I paid the damn ticket, but I vowed to decrease the revenue potential of the city by publishing a website that lists all of the intersections with red light cameras in the city. That way you can blow through all the red lights that you want so long as they aren't at these intersections.

So I'm asking that anyone who has ever gotten a red light ticket to post the intersection in the comments. I will put up a separate website and even map them out so we know which roads to avoid.

I have seen one at the intersection of Peterson and Western and I got a ticket from one on Western and Foster. What about you?

Check it out.