[From Red-light cameras: State legislators having 2nd thoughts -- chicagotribune.com]
Now that legislators have seen how the cameras are used, they are not as supportive:
The chief author of the 2006 Illinois law that green-lighted suburban red-light cameras is now pushing a legislative revision that could effectively undo his original bill. The proposal, from Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano, R-Elmwood Park, would ban the use of cameras to ticket motorists for rolling right turns on red, a significant limitation that would strip away the financial incentive for municipalities to install the devices.
By some estimates, up to 90 percent of infractions flagged by cameras involve failures to make proper stops before turning right on a red light. While illegal, such maneuvers rarely lead to serious accidents.
. . .
But Saviano said the practical impact of the cameras has become distorted. “It went from a safety issue to a revenue issue,” he said. “The bottom line is people can’t afford to pay the gosh darn fines. They are grumbling.”
Saviano’s measure is one of several proposals to rein in the use of red-light cameras that have been filed by Illinois lawmakers in anticipation of the legislature’s 2010 session.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
[From Chicago's red-light cameras don't always deter accidents -- chicagotribune.com]
I am hoping to review this data in a more detailed post later. But for now, here are some important snippets:
Cameras are said to reduce accidents, but collision records compiled by the Illinois Department of Transportation indicate that accidents increased at many city intersections the year after red-light cameras were installed. In fact slightly more intersections saw an increase than a decrease, the data show. The city tells a very different story. Crash statistics compiled by the city reflect broad success in reducing accidents with cameras, and the city could not explain why the numbers are so different.
The read from the state numbers is this: Although some Chicago intersections indeed appear to benefit from the presence of cameras, nearly 60 percent do not.
By year’s end red-light cameras will be installed at 189 Chicago intersections, the most of any big U.S. city. Sprawling Los Angeles, where the car is king, has 32; New York, 150.
This work casts doubt on the city’s claim that the cameras reduce accidents. (If the cameras don’t reduce accidents, then they aren’t providing the promised safety benefits.) Read the city’s claims here:
The City of Chicago reports crashes have been reduced by 20 percent in the two years since the camera technology was installed in early 2006 at 10 intersections. . . . Crashes decreased 30 percent, from 1,055 in 2004 to 736 last year, at intersections where red-light cameras were installed in 2004 and 2006, according to the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
[From Illinois Lawmakers Push Red Light Camera Restrictions from the Newspaper.com]
Three bills that would limit red light cameras:
The most ambitious proposal comes from state Senator Dan Duffy (R-Barrington) who last month introduced Senate Bill 2466 to wipe any authorization of automated ticketing machines from the statute books.
State Representative Angelo Saviano (R-Elmwood Park) has a more limited objective in mind. Last month he introduced legislation that would not ban cameras entirely, but instead would ban the most lucrative form of ticketing. “A county or municipality, including a home rule county or municipality, may not use an automated traffic law enforcement system to provide recorded images of a motor vehicle for the purpose of issuing violations to persons driving a motor vehicle who enter an intersection to turn right, or to turn left from a one-way street into a one-way street,” House Bill 4631 states.
State Senator Rickey R. Hendon (D-Chicago) offered the least ambitious of the red light camera measures. His bill would prevent localities from issuing a ticket for a certain type of technical infraction. “A county or municipality, including a home rule county or municipality, may not use an automated traffic law enforcement system to provide recorded images of a motor vehicle for the purpose of issuing violations to persons driving a motor vehicle who come to a stop one foot or less past the point where a driver is required to stop,” Senate Bill 2477 states.
While these bills have an uphill battle, it is good that some legislators are willing to stand for a principle against easy money.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
[From Anti-Red Light Camera Rally Set For Tuesday - Parking Ticket Geek]
Here is another batch of red light camera info. While I think this is an important topic, I think I am going to focus more on smart camera technologies in future posts and less on red light cameras. For a good overview of the issues around red light cameras in Chicago, the parking ticket geek suggests we look at the CBS 2 coverage.
There is also a protest happening:
Tuesday evening at 7:00, Peter Breen, candidate for Illinois State Representative in the 41st district, is encouraging everyone opposed to red light cameras to come out for a protest right in front of RedSpeed Illinois, LLC, one of the state’s largest red light camera companies.
. . .
Breen’s goal is nothing short of ambitious. He wants to rid the state of all red light cameras.
. . .
The keynote speaker for the event will be Illinois State Senator Dan Duffy (R-Lake Barrington), an outspoken critic of red light cameras. Duffy has pre-filed a bill (SB-2466) in the Illinois Senate that pushes for removal of red light cameras in Illinois.
In addition, Illinois gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski and Brian Costin of theSchaumburg Freedom Coalition will speak at the event.
Breen is very serious on the issue and just last week launched BanRedCams.com, a website dedicated to this issue to announce the rally, disseminate information about red light cameras, and keep people up to date on the issues.
The rally takes place at 7 PM tomorrow in front of of RedSpeed Illinois, located at 400 Eisenhower Lane N, Lombard, IL (just off of Finley Road, north of Butterfield, IL-56).
Breen encourages everyone attending to bring a flash light in order to “turn them on RedSpeed and give them a taste of their own medicine,” he said laughing.
Go to www.banredcams.com for more information.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
[From Board OKs red light cameras:: News :: PIONEER PRESS :: Libertyville Review ]
Libertyville has approved a contract with Gatso-USA for automated red light enforcement services. As a direct result of the publicity around the ticketing of right turns in Chicago, the new cameras will not ticket right turns on red.
(I promise to post non-red light camera stuff next)
rshah Red Light Cameras
[From Most back red-light devices but not near home - Chicago Breaking News]
A new WGN poll finds skepticism about the use of red light cameras. This is not surprising and will keep increasing as red light cameras largely target right hand turns in the Chicago area.
61 percent said the primary purpose of cameras was to boost ticket revenue for local governments and the private firms they hire to install and run camera equipment.
Overall, 53 percent agreed red-light cameras were a “good idea,” while 41 percent thought them a “bad idea.”
Just 31 percent of Downstate voters said they would like to see cameras installed where they live, while 57 percent said they would not.
More than half of suburban Cook residents surveyed said they disliked the notion of cameras, and 58 percent said they didn’t want one where they lived.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
[From theexpiredmeter.com » Blog Archive » Redflex Open To Reducing Fines For Right On Red Violations]
Redflex is now willing to have reduced fines for right turn on red violations. This is a significant victory and in great part due to the excellent work of the Tribune staff, bloggers, and activists. RedSpeed has objected, but I have no doubt they could comply if they wanted.
Sorry for the sparse details, but I have a busy few weeks.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
[From Red-light camera law born with help of political insiders -- chicagotribune.com]
Once again, Illinois is exposed for its lobbyists and political insiders greasing legislation for connected vendors. The Tribune has done an excellent job over the last few weeks on investigating red light cameras. In this article, they illuminate these connections. Here are a couple of snippets, but read the article for the full details.
RedSpeed a then-2-year-old British traffic camera-maker called RedSpeed latched onto savvy Illinois political insiders and came to dominate Chicago’s lucrative suburban market even though it had never before operated in the U.S.
So aggressive was the push that one suburban police chief recommended that his town hire RedSpeed a week before it was even incorporated in Illinois.
. . .
There are other curiosities. RedSpeed’s sole U.S. operation is in west suburban Lombard, and it markets itself as the only Illinois-based firm in the highly technical red-light camera business. Yet the corporate structure is topped by a holding company whose CEO lives in Staten Island, N.Y., and works in the office of a Manhattan ophthalmologist.
RedSpeed got a jump-start by quickly signing up a core group of suburbs — among them Bellwood, Berwyn, Bolingbrook, Elmwood Park, Melrose Park and Rosemont — with ties to a close network of clout-heavy lobbyists and former public officials.
rshah Chicago, Red Light Cameras
The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running has its annual week of Stop On Red. The campaign offers material devoted to pressing the case for red light cameras. As a gesture, American Traffic Solution has put up a video of red light crashes. CameraFraud.com is not impressed and believes this is quite a tasteless move.
rshah Red Light Cameras
A few communities have limited the use of red light cameras. One strategy to removing cameras is to threaten area merchants and businesses that their business will be reduced, because people do not want to visit areas with red light cameras.
This was part of the decisionmaking for Schaumburg, IL, when visitors complained about red light tickets and said they were not going to visit Woodfield Mall. The city then shut down its red light camera program. Check out the work of the local activists for more detail:
“During this period, the Village received about 50 negative phone calls, letters, and e-mails. Many angry out-of-towners threatened to boycott Schaumburg as a shopping, dining, and entertainment destination.” Via Daily Herald.
In Heath, Ohio there are claims that businesses are adversely affected with the new speed camera tickets, via thenewspaper.
Goodwin said Heath had set up traps with the most productive camera placed in such a way as to snare out-of-town visitors as they enter the city on route 79. The camera is difficult to see on a curve where the speed limit suddenly drops from 50 MPH to 35. She believes this has already had a negative impact on the city.
“Many businesses are seeing fewer customers in their stores and less traffic on 79 due to the cameras,” Goodwin said. “Customers have called and told businesses they will not be back unless the cameras come down. We believe the voters will come out and support the issue to ban the cameras.”
So instead arguing over public safety, citizens can point out that they will not patronize businesses near red light cameras. This may push cities to more carefully consider the use of red light cameras.
rshah Red Light Cameras
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