Posted on 10/15/2019 12:41:12 PM PDT by george76
Illinois local governments generated more than $1 billion in red-light camera revenue from 2008 to 2018..
Each red-light camera ticket in Illinois costs drivers up to $100..
Chicago has long been a poster child for red-light camera abuse. The city is home to the nation’s highest count of red-light cameras, a former high-ranking transportation official serving jail time for taking bribes from a red-light camera company, and a pricey settlement for drivers who a judge ruled did not receive proper notifications in the ticketing process.
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smaller local governments outside the city have installed almost as many red-light cameras as Chicago and collect nearly as much revenue. Further, federal investigations are raising questions of whether pay-to-play politics played a part in their proliferation.
CAMERA CASH.
The annual haul from red-light camera tickets statewide has more than doubled over the decade, with local governments collecting more than $113.2 million in 2018 compared with $53.5 million in 2008.
Red-light camera revenue outside Chicago city limits drove almost all of that increase, with $56.6 million generated in 2018 compared with $5.4 million in 2008.
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Red-light cameras in the Chicago suburbs have been a gold mine for local governments and a headache for drivers.
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pay-to-play politics in Illinois’ red-light camera business.
CAMERA CORRUPTION.
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SAFETY DANCE.
Red-light cameras in Illinois have done little to improve safety, but plenty to take more money from residents.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill in June 2019 to ban red-light cameras
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Red-light camera programs diminish trust in local government, and impose unfair financial burdens on residents subject to questionable ticketing practices.
Whether or not they’re proven to be part of the state’s culture of corruption, Illinois should bring red-light camera programs to a full stop.
(Excerpt) Read more at illinoispolicy.org ...
Considerable more than they will ever net from the proposed Chiraq casinos.
Over a $1B? Gee, do they have the “yellow light” times set for a nanosecond? Feed that government and the Illinois government employee their money....they are HUNGRY.
What??? Illinois is corrupt? Who’d a thunk it?
Here is an idea for Chicago ... put a red light camera at the intersections closest to Obama’s history museum. Heap big money potential there!
Caused me to stop donating to Police officers foundations, or any city politician.
$1,000,000,000 accumulated at $100 per ticket/fine is 10,000,000 tickets issued over a 10 year period ... that’s 1,000,000 tickets issued per year. WOW, that’s a massive amount of people running red lights! ... and not every intersection is equipped with cameras!
Yet, they say the state is broke.
It probably is. Someone...or someONES are pocketing all the money.
What’s even more amazing is that one of those “offenses” resulted in an accident. The driver goes on their merry way and gets a ticket in the mail.
wouldn’t this prove that running red lights is safe?
Stop running red lights and their revenue will dry up.
Just a thought.
Far safer than wearing a MAGA hat in Illinois!
“Austin Berg”
No Alec Berg, but a nice try for a John Houseman-sounding name, I guess.
More cash stripped from the private sector.
Great job.
Who needed the jobs that $1 billion would have helped to save or create?
I’d brag about that... /s As if...
Ah, you assume Chicago runs the system fairly and that their motives are as advertised, so that those ticketed legitimately, and avoidably, ran a red.
Municipalities (no idea if Chicago is included here or not) have been caught doing things at intersections with cameras that increase the probability of receiving a ticket while actually decreasing safety, like reducing yellow light times, in some cases to less than federal guidelines. Therefore, if in a case like that the municipality says they’re concerned about safety, it’s not just suspicious, it’s provably a lie.
> Stop running red lights and their revenue will dry up.
Nothing to hide? No reason to object to a search of your house.
It’s all going to get worse as technology “advances”. Government is absolutely devious and adaptable to use it to stick it to the people.
Do you really trust the guys setting up the timing of the light, as well as the camera, that much?
Mississippi kicked this scam out of the state. The red light cameras are unconstitutional as one cannot face ones accuser in a court of law. There is no lawful repercussions if one refuses to pay the fine either because the law hasn’t been followed. Local Tennesseans have quit paying the fines they receive in the mail because there is no teeth in the accusation other than a mail in threat from Arizona. They aren’t going to take you to court locally because it will cost too much and it is literally unconstitutional.
Red light tickets are $400 apiece.
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