Schaumburg turns off red-light camera near Woodfield
03-02-2009, 03:15 AM
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Schaumburg turns off red-light camera near Woodfield
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...,4193191.story
Amid shoppers' complaints, right-turn enforcement device is deactivated
Installing red-light cameras at busy intersections is a growth industry, but one northwest suburban community has pulled the plug on a highly profitable camera amid worries a premier shopping venue was getting a reputation as a ticket destination.
Located at Meacham and Woodfield Roads near Woodfield Mall, the camera raked in $1 million in fines for Schaumburg between November and January.
The tickets came in a flood, some 10,000 of them, almost all for drivers not stopping before turning right on red. At $100 a ticket, the village's coffers were overflowing.
But amid a flurry of complaints—some from scofflaws threatening never to shop again at the mall—the village recently decided to deactivate the camera, saying it wasn't improving safety that much anyway.
"We want to be as friendly to customers as we are to villagers, and continuing to enforce the right turn on red when it wasn't doing anything to improve public safety didn't make sense," said Village Manager Ken Fritz.
Although crashes at the intersection decreased while the cameras were rolling, the reduction was slight—from 10 before their installation to 7 during the same period after they were put up, officials said.
The camera, one of two at the intersection, can still capture drivers traveling straight through the intersection.
Schaumburg's deactivation request was the first for Red Speed Illinois, the Lombard company that has camera contracts with 51 Chicago-area municipalities.
"The fact that they did issue so many violations indicates that they do have a problem," said Red Speed spokeswoman Debra Beerup, adding that the village is considering installing cameras at several more intersections.
Schaumburg's decision isn't unprecedented. Two years ago, Bolingbrook turned a camera off after six months and dozens of complaints from residents. From November 2007 to May, 13,000 tickets and warnings were issued. The village collected $639,000 said Village Atty. James Boan.
Some of the complaints in Schaumburg came from drivers who thought the punishment didn't fit what they considered a minor infraction, said George Dunham, a trustee and member of the village's Public Safety Committee.
Other complaints, a bit nastier, were from drivers who said they "will never shop at Woodfield Mall again," Dunham said.
Alex Rodriguez, who works near the Schaumburg intersection, said the constant flashing of the camera prompted him to label it the "the blue light special." He said turning off the camera was the right thing to do. He hopes other cameras in the Chicago area are also deactivated.
But Robin Baran of Palatine disagreed, saying the camera was important for traffic safety. And she sees it as fair way to collect revenue.
Amid shoppers' complaints, right-turn enforcement device is deactivated
Installing red-light cameras at busy intersections is a growth industry, but one northwest suburban community has pulled the plug on a highly profitable camera amid worries a premier shopping venue was getting a reputation as a ticket destination.
Located at Meacham and Woodfield Roads near Woodfield Mall, the camera raked in $1 million in fines for Schaumburg between November and January.
The tickets came in a flood, some 10,000 of them, almost all for drivers not stopping before turning right on red. At $100 a ticket, the village's coffers were overflowing.
But amid a flurry of complaints—some from scofflaws threatening never to shop again at the mall—the village recently decided to deactivate the camera, saying it wasn't improving safety that much anyway.
"We want to be as friendly to customers as we are to villagers, and continuing to enforce the right turn on red when it wasn't doing anything to improve public safety didn't make sense," said Village Manager Ken Fritz.
Although crashes at the intersection decreased while the cameras were rolling, the reduction was slight—from 10 before their installation to 7 during the same period after they were put up, officials said.
The camera, one of two at the intersection, can still capture drivers traveling straight through the intersection.
Schaumburg's deactivation request was the first for Red Speed Illinois, the Lombard company that has camera contracts with 51 Chicago-area municipalities.
"The fact that they did issue so many violations indicates that they do have a problem," said Red Speed spokeswoman Debra Beerup, adding that the village is considering installing cameras at several more intersections.
Schaumburg's decision isn't unprecedented. Two years ago, Bolingbrook turned a camera off after six months and dozens of complaints from residents. From November 2007 to May, 13,000 tickets and warnings were issued. The village collected $639,000 said Village Atty. James Boan.
Some of the complaints in Schaumburg came from drivers who thought the punishment didn't fit what they considered a minor infraction, said George Dunham, a trustee and member of the village's Public Safety Committee.
Other complaints, a bit nastier, were from drivers who said they "will never shop at Woodfield Mall again," Dunham said.
Alex Rodriguez, who works near the Schaumburg intersection, said the constant flashing of the camera prompted him to label it the "the blue light special." He said turning off the camera was the right thing to do. He hopes other cameras in the Chicago area are also deactivated.
But Robin Baran of Palatine disagreed, saying the camera was important for traffic safety. And she sees it as fair way to collect revenue.
03-18-2009, 03:31 PM
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Posts: 3,152
people b!tch too much about the little things. do what your supposed to and you'll get no tickets from these cameras. just like the insurance story that Chicago wants to use them to bust peeps for not having insurance. I think it's brilliant! have you been hit by someone that doesn't have insurance? I haven't but know people that have and it's ___. good way to catch illegals too as they obviously wouldn't have insurance if they don't have drivers license. maybe American's should live in a country where a lot of these "freedoms" are not there. I have and you gotta watch yourself all the time. check England fools. cameras everywhere and they don;t care. just behave, don;t run redlights and stop and stop signs. all stuff I've been stopped for just in my neighborhood.
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