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 ...
That right there is funny. Hilarious attempt at law and order.
Jefferson Parish La is proposing the installation of Crime Cameras. Whatever that is.
So, first speed, then red light, and now crime cameras.
Running a red light in Orange county Florida will cost you $262!
To paraphrase the toll road shills (more likely being paid) that used to be here to support Rick Perry trying to privatize our freeways:
“With a red light camera you have a choice: If you’re in a hurry, you can risk the ticket, if you’re not in a hurry, then no ticket”.
Of course the above simplification doesn’t get into things like the ‘flexible’ timing of the yellow light, and other specifics...
I got dinged by them. Well, toll road toll violation. Got a letter in the mail telling me to pay up. Thing is, the last time is was in Illinois, was probably in the 80’s.
So I called and disputed it. They sent me a copy of the photo that they said was mine. It was a Volvo, pic was at night, and it was a front plate. Indiana doesn’t have front plates and I don’t own a Volvo. I pointed out these discrepancies to the worker droid at the Illinois toll authority And he said it happens more than you might think. He cleared it up for me and a week later I got a letter with $0 balance due.
Cameras and characters recognition are pushing cheap revenue enhancements for states.
In Washington state the tickets by camera don’t go on your record so, people just pay them because it’s not worth the hassle.
I was nabbed by one, I watched the video where I obviously rolled a red light on a right turn.
Doh!
How nice for public coffers.
It’s just so damn immoral and unseemly, like lotteries for public school money.
This is actually one thing Chicago is doing right. I see an increase in people running red lights and we have had some nasty auto accidents as a result.
80% of the red light tickets in Los Angeles were right turn on red which are legal. Most do not fight the tickets as they cost more to do so.
Great point as I’ve been saying for the last few years that technology is being used against the populace. To fleece us, control is.
Anyone ever sit in your vehicle at an intersection and NO cars are moving from any direction? Happens to me literally, in the truest sense of the word, all the time.
Why does this happen? It’s often that a driver had an arrow for a left turn, or, a car approached an intersection with a single lane and turned right on red, but tripped the light to cycle through to the next cycle where that car that turned right on red gets a green light-even though the car that tripped the green light is long gone! And that was the only car coming from that direction!
This is only one scenario where NO cars are moving at an intersection. There are many others.
The technology exists that could rectify these traffic nightmares. Using simple infra red technology traffic lights could easily be programmed to cycle through to the next sequence the traffic lights go through when there is OBVIOUSLY nothing moving from any direction. It’s very dooable. Think of the savings in fuel and money! Come on!
But alas, government is a bloated carcass of what it once was. Sorry to be so cynical.
Yet, they say the state is broke.
It probably is. Someone...or someONES are pocketing all the money.
The politicians are getting a personal kickback from the red light companies.
“The red light cameras are unconstitutional as one cannot face ones accuser in a court of law.”
And don’t they have to prove who was driving?
You’ve never got caught by a quick-yellow and rolled through an intersection? C’mon!
Your locality needs revenue? They just tweak the light timing. The statistical certainty is such that they can predict the exact percentage by which the revenue will increase.
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