Category Archives: Chicago speeding cameras

Short Yellow Lights The Cause Of Red Light Tickets Being Dismissed

Date
Posted by

The Chicago Tribune published an interesting report recently about the rash of red light tickets being thrown out by administrative law judges. The reasoning behind the judge’s decision is simple: shorter yellow lights. The city requires that yellow lights last at least three (3) seconds and video evidence has revealed that tickets are being issued to drivers because of quick yellow lights. According to the article,   Xerox State & Local Solutions took over the program in March. Since April, hearing officers have cited short yellow lights as the reason for throwing out more than 200 of roughly 1,500 rejected red light tickets, according to their written notations. In the four years before that, under the old vendor, judges blamed short yellows only 37 times out of more than 12,000 successful appeals, according to their written notes. It’s a rate 50 times higher than when the old vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., ran the program.

Asked why Xerox had so many tickets with yellow times below 3 seconds when Redflex tickets — which showed measurements to the hundredths of a second — almost never showed a time below 3 seconds, city officials declined to answer, citing an ongoing investigation by the city’s inspector general.

The red light cameras have been under scrutiny from the beginning. Media outlets previously reported, and I have discussed here, about federal bribery charges against former city officials and the prior company that managed the tickets, Redflex. Further, a class action lawsuit was filed against Redflex alleging that they were unjustly enriched millions of dollars due to their corrupt bribery tactics.

Where does this leave the city now regarding red light and speed camera tickets? I have said since the beginning that these types of tickets appeared to be a money grab, despite the mayor’s office insistence that these were implemented as purely a safety precaution. Studies have shown, which I have documented on this blog, that red light cameras actually make intersections more dangerous because drivers tend to stop quickly at intersections for fear of being ticketed. As a result, driver’s are more prone to being involved in rear-end auto accidents. Unfortunately, I don’t think red light or speed cameras are going anywhere anytime soon. And the city will continue to be blasted by the local newspapers and TV stations as long as they continue to hand out tickets that are unwarranted.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago Added 12 New Speed Cameras

Date
Posted by

If you have a history of speeding around the city, beware, because My Fox Chicago reported over the weekend that 12 new speeder cameras were being installed around the city. As I have written in the past, despite the city’s claims that these are being used as a safety measure, these cameras seem like a money grab to me. Regardless, warnings will be issued for the first 30 days after cameras are installed, the department said. When fines are instituted, speeders will be charged $35 for driving 10 mph over the speed limit and $100 for going 11 mph or more.

Below is a list of the 12 new locations where the cameras will be installed:

Taft High School, 6545 W. Hurlbut St.

-Ashmore Playlot Park, 4807 W. Gunnison St.

-Beverly Park, 2460 W. 102nd St.

-Chicago Vocational High School, 2100 E. 87th St.

-Loop Lab School, 318 W. Adams St.

-Wicker Park 1425 N. Damen Ave.

-Keystone Park, 1655 N. Keystone Ave.

-Frazier International Magnet School, 4027 W. Grenshaw St.

-St. Gall Elementary School, 5515 S. Sawyer Ave.

-Foster Park, 1400 W. 84th St.

-Dulles Elementary School, 6311 S. Calumet Ave.

-Mulberry Park, 3150 S. Robinson Ct.

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 312-614-1076.

Chicago Speeder Cameras Issue 2700 Tickets In First Month

Date
Posted by

The Chicago Sun-Times reported
this week that 2700 tickets were issued by the new speeder cameras in their
first month of operation. The cameras are located in “safe zones”
throughout the city, specifically in front of schools and parks. Along with the
2700 tickets, there were an astounding 324,000 warning issued by the cameras.
The tickets issued have (or will) generated $245,160 in revenue for the
city. 

Motorists caught going 6 to 10
mph over the posted limit pay a $35 fine. Drivers caught going at least 11 mph
over the limit pay $100. In the first month of enforcement, 416 violations were
issued for those driving 6 to 10 mph over the speed limit; another 2,306 were
issued to those driving 11 mph or more over the speed limit, according to city
statistics.

“It is encouraging to see that automated speed enforcement
has already had a significant positive impact on drivers’ behavior…But, we
still have a chronic problem of excessive speed and we need to continue to
change the culture of speeding in Chicago,” departing Transportation
Commissioner Gabe Klein was quoted as saying in a press release.

Mayor Emanuel has emphasized from the beginning that these
cameras were installed for safety purposes – – and not as a revenue generator.
This is interesting as his office estimates that ticket fines could raise $70
million is 2014. I will following this closely to see if there is a decrease in
car accidents and pedestrian accidents in these locations. I would also be
interested in knowing whether these “safe zones” were areas where
there was a high level of traffic accidents.

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

Chicago Officials Announce Reduction In Red Light Cameras

Date
Posted by

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. 

Chicago Speed Cameras Began Issuing Tickets This Week

Date
Posted by

CBS Chicago reported this week that the first ten speeder
cameras at various parks and schools began issuing tickets. Drivers who are
caught speeding by the cameras will be issued one warning before being issued
an actual ticket. The fines range between $35 and $100. Initially drivers will
be fined for driving over ten mph but that will eventually be lowered to six
mph. The city also has plans to expand the number of cameras up to fifty within
the next several months. The city has said the cameras will be placed only at
so-called “Children’s Safety Zones” within 1/8 mile of parks or
schools. Cameras placed at parks would operate only when the parks are
open. Cameras placed at schools would operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on school
days.

City officials continue
to refute that the cameras were installed as a money making venture. Chicago Department of
Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein disagreed with those who think the
city’s only trying to raise money with the cameras. “This idea that
speeding is not breaking the law is silly,” he said. Klein said, in other
cities that have installed speed cameras, speeding have gone down dramatically.

I am
eagerly awaiting the number of tickets that are issued and how much money the
city earns from these cameras. Further, I will be interested to see if the
number of car accidents and pedestrian accidents decreases in the areas
compared to parts of the city without cameras. 

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

Chicago To Add 50 New Speeder Cameras Around City

Date
Posted by

I have written multiple times in the
past about Chicago speeder cameras. Like many residents and media members, I
have been skeptical as to whether the cameras are a money grab for the city or
are actually being placed to make our city safer. Like them or not, NBC
5 reported last week that the city has approved 50 new cameras
throughout the city. You can see the complete list by clicking here. 

The first group of 4 cameras were installed on Monday August
26, the first day of classes for Chicago Public
Schools students. Another eight cameras were scheduled to be installed in
September. Another 50 will be installed by the end of the year. Drivers
will receive warnings for the first 30 days after a camera is activated in any
specific “safety zone” around a school or park. After that, drivers
will be fined $35 for travelling 6 to 10 miles per hour over the posted speed
limit, and $100 for travelling 11 or more miles over the posted speed limit.
 

Enforcement times will be limited to
7 a.m.-7 p.m. on weekdays in school zones, with a 20 mph speed limist from from
7 a.m.-4 p.m. when children are present, and a 30 mph speed limit from 4-7 p.m.
A 30 mph speed limit will be enforced from 6 a.m.-11 p.m. every day of the week
in park zones


As I have said before, I will be interested to see the accident rates in these
locations after the cameras are installed. Hopefully this will create safer
school zones, less car accidents and ultimately eliminate any pedestrianaccidents.

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

Chicago Officials Deem Speeder Light Cameras Effective

Date
Posted by

The Inquisitr reported recently that Chicago officials have
come out to say that the much maligned speeder cameras are working better than
expected and could earn the city much more money than they initially
envisioned. Officials in the city are now
preparing to install the programs first permanent cameras at four neighborhood
parks. Those cameras will be followed by eight additional locations, including
three near schools over the next month. The December trial, which included two
companies vying for the city contract, caught 93,000 speeders at four
locations. Based on those numbers and a five-year contract with Chicago could
mean upwards of one million tickets per year or over five million over the
five-year contract. 

The
system comes with a warning for a driver’s first violation followed by a ticket
of $100 if they travel 11MPH or more over the posted speed limit. A $35 ticket
will be issued for second time offenders who travel 6 to 10MPH over the speed
limit.

This is interesting information that The Inquisitr has
reported, but there is almost no comment from the city regarding safety. Are
parks and school areas safer due to these cameras? Mayor Emanual scoffed at the
notion that these cameras were being placed to earn extra revenue for the city.
He has been quoted over and over that these were being implemented to protect
children. I will believe that these cameras are a success once the city or some
independent entity publishes actual statistics that car accidents – – and more
importantly – – pedestrian accidents are down in these designated areas.

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

Updates On Chicago’s Red Light And Speeder Cameras

Date
Posted by

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 Completes Speed Camera Test Period At Chicago Schools And Parks

Date
Posted by

The Chicago Sun
Times reported last week that speeder cameras located near Chicago
schools and parks went through a month long test period. The city placed
cameras on the North Side near
Warren Park in the 6500 block of North Western and around Near North Montessori
School in the 1400 block of West Division. South Side cameras were
installed in the 2200 block of West Pershing near McKinley Park and in the 6300
block of South King Drive near Dulles Elementary School. No tickets were
issued and the city won’t say how many speeders were observed or how fast they
were going. 

The city used two (2)
competing camera companies during this testing period (Xerox State & Local Solutions and American Traffic Solutions), and
now the city will determine which contractor they will use going forward. 

Though
this project will bring in new revenues for the city, Chicago mayor Emanuel
insists that these cameras are being installed solely for children’s safety.
“I’m keeping my word. I said we were gonna invest in kids and their
safety…We’re gonna expand by 30 percent our after-school programs, double the
size of our summer jobs and add 5,000 kids to our pre-K, wrap-around, full-day
services,” the mayor said. It wasn’t a money-maker in the sense that you
were leaving the impression, which is that it was gonna be just some sloshing
around inside the budget. It’s going right back into what I said it was. And
there’s no better child safety program than after-school programs…when
two-thirds to three quarters of all children become a victim of crime.”

This speeder camera
program has gone under some scrutiny since it was announced last year. I think
it is too early to decide whether this is a good idea. If Mayor Emanuel is
being forthright about the safety considerations and the number of caraccidents and pedestrian accidents decrease in school and park areas, then it
will be deemed a success. Time will tell.

If you or someone you
love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then
call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at
312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.  style=”font-size: 12pt; font-family: ‘Times New Roman’, serif;”>

Chicago City Council Passes Speed Camera Ordinance

Date
Posted by

The Chicago Trubune reported this week that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s controversial speeder camera law was finally passed by alderman. The vote was approved 33 to 14. The law did not pass without a few changes by Emanuel, who had received criticism by the press and by constituents, who suggested the cameras were money making opportunity by the city. Emanuel, who has claimed from day one that these were aimed to save children’s lives, made a few changes to the law before the vote. First, the cameras hours of operation will be limited from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, near schools and parks. Second, the fine for speeders driving 6 to 10 mph over the speed limit will see a fine of $35 rather than $50.

Most interestingly here is that Emanuel admitted that the research initially used by his office was faulty. He admitted it was “error-ridden” and should not have been released. Specifically, the Chicago Tribune previously reported that the cameras would show a 26% decrease in accidents rather than the 60% suggested by the mayor’s office.
I hope this idea works and people are mindful when driving near schools and parks. I can predict right now that my office is going to be flooded with calls from people who receive these tickets asking if there is anything to dispute the fine. A small portion of my practice is dedicated to criminal and traffic defense and I am certain I will receive calls from people asking if there is anything can be done to fight the ticket. The answer is no. These tickets are not traffic violations and they do not go on your driving ticket. These are more comparable to a parking ticket. The fines have to be paid (or risk having your drivers license suspended) but there is not effect on ones driving record or insurance.
Let’s hope we see the elimination of vehicle-pedestrian accidents outside of schools and parks in Chicago.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a Chicago vehicle-pedestrian accident or Chicago car accident, then car Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.