Red Light Cameras Installed at Strategic Michigan Avenue Intersections to Deter Light Running and Improve Safety
Alderman Reilly is pleased to announce that Automated Red Light Camera Enforcement (RLC) Cameras at the intersections of Michigan Avenue and Ontario Street, and Michigan Avenue and Jackson Boulevard will be activated on Monday, January 22. Violations will not be issued for the first two weeks, until February 5.
Alderman Reilly negotiated with the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) to have RLCs installed at the intersection of Michigan and Ontario based on residents’ feedback about safety concerns. This intersection also has one of the largest pedestrian volumes in the City.
The RLCs replace cameras that were removed from other locations last year. The two new locations that were chosen have consistently scored high for potential red-light camera placement due to the high number of crashes and the unique characteristics of the intersections. Both intersections have large number of pedestrians and heavy vehicular movements which make pedestrians particularly vulnerable.
CDOT has posted new signage on the approach to the affected intersections to alert motorists that the cameras have been installed. Failure to stop at red lights at these intersections will result in a $100 fine starting February 5.
The placement of these cameras follows the release of a Northwestern University Transportation Center study on the effectiveness of Chicago’s RLC program. One of the key findings was that the program’s safety benefits can be enhanced if a small number of existing cameras be relocated to more effective intersections. Based on recommendation in the Northwestern study, in March the City proposed that four cameras be removed and placed in new locations.
To learn more, click on the following links for more information about the City’s Red Light Camera Enforcement Program and the Northwestern University Transportation Center study.
Source: Alderman Reilly Reports 1/19/18
