Chicago speed cameras take $90.9 million from drivers in 2024
Chicago’s speed cameras issued $90.9 million in tickets and fees to drivers in 2024, down $11.3 million from 2023. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s is adding 50 new speed cameras to recover those fines, with 11 issuing tickets by the end of June.
Chicago speed cameras issued $90.9 million worth of tickets and fees to drivers in 2024, handing motorists a fine every 24 seconds for a total of 1.84 million violations.
But it’s not enough: fines were down $11.3 million from the year before, according to an analysis of city data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants more fine money this year to prop up his budget, so is adding more speed cameras.
By the end of June, 27 new speed cameras will be issuing tickets. A total of 50 are being added this year to Chicago’s existing 165 speed cameras.
Chicago speed camera ticketing data shows 1.32 million of the violations last year carried fines and the rest were warnings. Nearly two-thirds of the fines were paid on time, but more than half of the revenue came from late fees – which more than double fines.
About 65% of revenue came from tickets for going 6-10 mph over the speed limit. Late penalties and collection fees can turn a $35 citation into an $85 fine with penalties. A $100 speeding violation can cost the driver $244 if the payment is late.
Speed cameras also sent 523,044 warnings to drivers that did not carry a fine.
15 $1-million cameras
Among the 165 Chicago speed cameras active last year, 13 issued over $1 million worth of tickets, another sent over $2 million in fines to drivers and one topped $3 million – before late fees were added.
The top Chicago speed camera was located at 10540 S. Western Ave. in the West Beverly neighborhood on the city’s Far South Side. It issued more than $3.19 million in fines to drivers, or more than eight times the citywide average camera revenue.
Southeast Side gets most tickets
Overall, speed cameras on Chicago’s Southeast Side issued the most tickets and generated the most revenue per camera during 2024.
Speed cameras in community areas on the Southeast Side issued about 19,128 tickets each last year, sending an average $646,142 worth of tickets to drivers.
Cameras on the city’s Southwest Side issued the fewest tickets on average during this time, only sending drivers about 7,071 tickets each.
Down $11.3 million
Chicago speed cameras issued a total of 1,320,507 tickets carrying a fine in 2024, about 241,906 fewer tickets than were issued during 2023.
That translates to about $11.3 million less in revenue for the city, following a trend of declining annual revenues for Chicago speed cameras since former Mayor Lori Lightfoot lowered the ticketing threshold in March 2021.
Safety? More likely cash
Are the cameras making the streets safer? A decade-long city study of collisions around Chicago speed cameras shows total crashes declined by 2% between 2012 and 2022 compared to a 27% increase in collisions citywide during that time.
The count of speed-related crashes around cameras dropped by 16% while the city recorded a 22% increase in speeding collisions. Bicycle and pedestrian crashes also fell by 44% around camera sites, mirroring the citywide decrease in pedestrian collisions reported during the decade.
The Chicago collision study indicates speed cameras reduced total crashes around 53% of camera sites. But whether those cameras were changing driving habits and increasing collisions outside of designated camera sites was not addressed.
A 2017 speed camera study in Great Britain found safety was highly localized around intersections with speed cameras. An Arizona study found no effect on collisions from the cameras. University of Illinois-Chicago research also concluded there was “little relationship between the number of tickets issued and the safety impact of cameras.”
Are the cameras about safety, or about cash? The answer seems pretty clear when Johnson still need millions more to fund his 2025 budget and the city is predicting a $1.2 billion budget deficit in fiscal year 2026.
Johnson’s broken promises
Johnson pledged to phase out speed cameras during his final televised debate against mayoral challenger Paul Vallas.
In a Sun-Times mayoral candidate questionnaire, Johnson said, “The choice should not be between inequitable, regressive taxation and the potential for increased traffic violence. Lowering the speed limit is a cash grab and has not proven effective in making our streets any safer.”
Instead, Johnson said the city should invest in “more effective means of traffic calming, including reduced speed limits and car access in select areas, car-free zones, speed bumps, safer intersections, and improved biking infrastructure.”
Johnson’s 2025 Chicago budget originally counted on residents paying about $325 million in fines, forfeitures and penalties to remain balanced – $22.3 million less than was budgeted for 2024.
Johnson’s counting on his 50 new speed cameras to raise an additional $11.4 million for his 2025 budget. He’s already getting after the money: 27 of the new speed cameras by the end of June will be issuing fines to drivers.
But still the city claims the cameras are about safety, not cash.