Category Archives: Chicago red light cameras

Chicago Officials Announce Reduction In Red Light Cameras

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There has been quite a bit news
lately about the installation of speeder cameras being installed outside school
zones and parks throughout Chicago. These cameras, which I have written about
multiple times the last few months, began issuing tickets last week. Not
forgotten among all this recent press are the much criticized red light
cameras. As reported by The Chicago Sun-Times, the city
announced earlier this month that they are removing cameras from 18
intersections. Mayor Emanuel announced through a press release that these
intersections are no longer a threat for car accidents and that there is no
longer a need for the cameras at these intersections. “Automated traffic
enforcement, whether through red-light or speed cameras, is about changing
drivers’ behavior. Cameras at these intersections are now showing a low
level of (car) crashes and dangerous angle crashes, which means an enhanced
level of safety.”

The red light cameras have created a
lot of revenue for the city, but many have argued that they are unnecessary and
that they do not make intersections any safer. Earlier this year,
Inspector General Joe Ferguson concluded there was no evidence to substantiate
the city’s claim that red-light cameras have either reduced accidents or are
installed at the most dangerous intersections. But Ferguson said the Chicago
Department of Transportation (“CDOT”) was unable to produce evidence
that accident data was used in the selection of red-light camera locations or
that CDOT continually evaluates accident data to relocate cameras to the
most-dangerous spots.

Whether red light cameras make our
intersections safer is up for debate. I know there have been studies done in
other cities such as Kansas City, where it was concluded that the cameras
actually make intersections more dangerous. I’m not sure if this is true, but I
would like to see some sort of comprehensive study on all of the red light
camera intersections to determine whether these cameras actually prevent car
accidents and pedestrian accidents.

If you or someone you love has been
seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then
call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free legal
consultation at 312-588-3384. 

Updates On Chicago’s Red Light And Speeder Cameras

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I wrote last week that
Chicago had declined to renew the contract of Redflex, its’ red light camera
company for the last several years. More news has trickled out the last few
days as the Chicago Tribune has reported that Redflex has
fired the top vice president that handled its’ Chicago account, and that the
city has focused on a finalist to take the place of Redflex starting this
summer. 

Redflex fired one of
their top executives, Aaron Rosenberg, and simultaneously filed a lawsuit
against him. The firing and lawsuit stems from unethical conduct
involving Chicago transportation official
John Bills, who received lavish vacations from a Redflex consultant who
received more than $570,000 in company commissions. Redflex filed a
lawsuit against Rosenberg in Arizona Superior Court in Phoenix seeking damages
from the man it once credited for much of its expansion in the
U.S. “Mr. Rosenberg engaged in a protracted and covert scheme to
misappropriate funds from Redflex through the submission to the company of
false requests for expense reimbursement,” the suit alleges. “Mr.
Rosenberg’s conduct was intentional, outrageous and committed with an evil mind
with the intent of causing injury to and/or in deliberate disregard of the
unjustifiably substantial risk of significant harm to Redflex.”  The
suit also alleged Rosenberg’s “dishonest and unethical conduct has
substantially harmed Redflex’s business reputation and goodwill throughout the
United States and has and will continue to cause Redflex significant
damage.”

In
other news Arizona-based American Traffic Solutions Inc. was selected
Friday by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s administration as the preferred bidder to launch
an automated camera system to tag speeders near public schools and parks,
a program that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. ATS and the
other finalist, Maryland-based Xerox State & Local Solutions Inc., were
chosen last year from a field of nine bidders. The two companies participated
in a month long test of their equipment in Chicago during which no tickets
were issued. City officials have declined to discuss the evaluation process.

These
are all interesting developments but I think taxpayers want to know if
these programs, which generate millions of dollars for the city, actually make
intersections safer for pedestrians and drivers. Is there a decrease in
accidents based on these cameras? As I have written in the past, many experts say
no. I am anxious to see the results of the investigation that is supposed to be
called for by the city council about the safety of these cameras. If it can be
shown that there are less car crashes and pedestrian accidents at these
intersections and the city makes money, then I guess it’s a win win. If not,
then the city needs to reevaluate these programs altogether.

If you
or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truckaccident, then call Chicago injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384. 

Chicago Red Light Camera Company Dumped By City; Aldermen Want Answers

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Reports came out last
week in the Chicago Tribune and Huffington Post that
the city decided not to renew the contract of Redflex Traffic Systems after
news came out that the company gave gifts to city official John Bills. Redflex was the company the city contracted with for its red light cameras. 

As a result, city
aldermen passed a resolution calling for hearings to determine how and why
specific intersections were chosen and whether safety (rather than money) was the ultimate goal.  The resolution calls for city officials to
appear at a hearing to explain what role Redflex played in deciding where the
cameras went and whether revenue projections were considered in choosing the
intersections. Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced last week that Redflex would be
dumped from the city’s red-light camera contract. “The
original ordinance calls for better traffic safety, but we don’t really know
the standards they used,” said Arena, 45th. “We want officials from
(the Chicago Department of Transportation) to come in and give us specifics on
the analysis and on whether these intersections are safer now.”

These
developments are taking place years after the cameras were installed under much
controversy. There have been numerous studies and articles written about
whether red light cameras actually make intersections safer. Some of the
studies actually concluded that there were more car accidents in certain
intersections where the cameras were located. It will be interesting to see
what the city does next and whether these cameras will continue to exist. 

If
you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicagotruck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer Aaron Bryant for a free legal consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at
www.blgchicago.com. 

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Are Chicago Red Light Cameras Causing More Traffic Accidents?

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The Huffingon Post reported recently that the much maligned red light cameras in Chicago could be making busy intersections more dangerous.  A Texas A&M study has shown that the red light cameras – – which result in shorter yellow lights – – are causing more car accidents .

The Texas A&M study found that “adding one second of yellow decreases crashes 35 to 40 percent and violations by 60 percent.” Longer yellows give drivers more time to stop, making them both less likely to crash and less likely to be caught running a red. Yellow lights across the city are timed at exactly three seconds, the exact minimum allowed by state and federal guidelines.  In tandem with the red-light cameras, these short yellows can make drivers hesitant as they approach intersections, and more likely to slam on the brakes when they see a yellow, said Barnet Fagel of the National Motorists’ Association. The cameras, he said in and appearance on “Chicago Tonight” are “making people drive under pressure and tension, and having their foot poised over the brake pedal.”  Fagel claims to have identified lights around the city where the yellow lights hovers around two-and-a-half seconds.

It will be interesting to see if the Illinois Legislature will attempt to ban (or at least limit) red light cameras. They are a revenue maker for cities and for the state, but the question the legislature must ask is if they are making intersections safer, which should have been the purpose for installing these cameras in the first place.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident  or Chicago truck accident , then call Chicago car accident attorney , Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation  on your personal injury  case at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com