More Chicago suburbs pulling plug on red-light cameras
More Illinois suburbs are ditching red-light cameras. Drivers should celebrate after the devices have issued over $1.5 billion in fines and failed to make roads any safer.
Gurnee is the latest to scrap its red-light camera program after 16 years, citing declining revenue and ongoing headaches caused by the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The village said construction projects and IDOT’s sluggish pace in approving camera reactivations left multiple cameras offline for years.
“It was a combination of both [safety improvements and IDOT delays], but probably more having the cameras offline,” said Village Manager Pat Muetz.
Gurnee isn’t alone. Hanover Park and Palatine have faced similar hurdles, with months and sometimes years of waiting for IDOT to approve camera reactivations or certify new vendors. In the meantime, revenue from fines has plummeted. Hanover Park’s take dropped from $140,000 in 2021 to just over $2,000 last year. Palatine’s red-light revenue shrank from nearly $300,000 to less than $13,000.
An Illinois Policy Institute investigation found at least 527 red-light cameras were in 90 municipalities since the state allowed them in 2008 to expand beyond Chicago. They had issued $1.5 billion in tickets from 2008 through 2023. Chicago has about 300 red-light cameras, plus 192 speed cameras and plans to add 23 more.
The cameras can be very lucrative, but public leaders usually cite safety as the argument for installing the cameras. It’s hard to defend the cameras as safety devices because IDOT doesn’t track crash data at locations with cameras. Oak Brook found crashes increased at intersections with cameras, then decided to remove theirs.
Whatever the reason for removing red-light cameras, doing so is a win for accountability and good governance.
Red-light cameras have always been controversial, often viewed as revenue-generating tools rather than genuine safety solutions. Several communities, including Naperville, St. Charles and Roselle have already removed them, citing limited safety benefits and public distrust. The cameras were also a source of public corruption, with illegal deals being made with local leaders.
By walking away from red-light cameras, local governments are being less predatory. Municipalities can focus on smarter, more effective traffic solutions that don’t depend on backlogged permits or questionable enforcement.