The Chainlink

Upset and concerned about the current rhetoric and plans on red light/speed cameras

Had some free time at work, found a list of Alderpeople that support it and emailed all them.

Found the list here: http://www.citizenstoabolishredlightcameras.com/candidates-pledge.html 
Emailed that group too, why not - chicagocoalitionforchange@gmail.com

Chicago City Council Members who have signed a pledge to rid of the cameras. 

Bob Fioretti 2nd
Pat Dowell 3rd
Leslie Hairston 5th
Roderick Sawyer 6th
Anthony Beale 9th
Toni Fowlkes 16th

Emails: 

service@6thwardchicago.com

2ndwarddemorg@gmail.com

ward03@cityofchicago.org

LHairston@cityofchicago.org

ward09@cityofchicago.org

Toni.Foulkes@cityofchicago.org

My email to all them:

Subject: Support for Keeping and Improving Red Light/Speed Cameras

As a person who walks and bikes in Chicago, I want to express my concern your support to have red-light and speed cameras gone. 

I feel incredibly safer on our city streets and sidewalks (and studies back up that I should) with these cameras around. This is one of the few things the city government has done recently that I love, please don't take this away from us. 

Not only for the "people should follow the law" reasoning (if you break the law there should be consequences) but also I know that if I am hit my a driver while on my bike or when walking across the street (both things that have happened to me), one of these cameras is likely to capture the collision. 

There are better measures to improve the system and reduce monetary fines than just get rid of them.

Please, please, stop your support getting rid of these. It makes our city better and safer.

Views: 2571

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Idiots have trouble adapting and understanding many things in life. If the way you implement a system in the management of the city that is unfair and not even-handed the issue is just that. Fairness; the current red light system is unfair and must be REDONE.
I don't understand what's unfair. Is it the below-norm yellow light duration? I won't argue that that's not shady, but I will say I haven't had a problem with yellow light times (and that's on a bike) and it still doesn't demand the removal of the camera system.

I watched a recent Last Week Tonight segment and now feel bad about my support of the cameras because it shows municipal and traffic violations are unjust. I still support the cameras just not the system behind them. 

Video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjpmT5noto

As I was watching that on Sunday, I was having the same thoughts.  However, I feel the real problem addressed in that piece is the punitive fines that come with not paying on time, not the original costs of the violations.

The companies mentioned are charging usurious rates with the expressed permission of governments.  This is further evidence of the problem of governments being complicit with the outsourcing of public services.

Saturday night, I tried crossing Ashland at one of the crosswalks that wasn't at a stop light, and not one car stopped.  Granted, it would have been more dangerous for them to stop than for me to wait to cross, but if the city is going to make laws, it needs to buck up and enforce the laws.  If people can't afford to pay the fines, they shouldn't break the law.

We aren't talking about obscure city codes.  There has been too much publicity about red light cameras and crosswalk priority (and using a hand held phone while driving) for people to claim they are not aware of the law.

Redone, to comply with federal standards and to be fair and even-handed.
So make yellow lights longer, right? The motorist groups and politicians pandering to the "hard working" drivers of chicago seem to be coming from a different place. Also, i stick by the fact that the lights are fine, and everything I'm reading claims chicago yellow lights are too short only because of de facto speed limits (ie everyone speeding).

Riding around I tend to think that yellows could be longer for people that are biking too.

On Divvy or at wide intersections, I have had it where I can't make it through the intersection before the yellow turns red, even if I enter on a green. 

Maybe having longer yellows would be a solution that would help drivers experience less fines and help people who bike out as well?

They found several thousand of the "Red Light" tickets to be under the Federal mandated minimum of 3 seconds. The city of Chicago basically stole money from hard working people.

Wait, Chicago steal from the backs of the people.....never!  /sarcasm

The city has made about a grand over the last several years off my wife who travels and works in the city.  She just got another ticket a week or so ago.

Keep it coming ;)

I got burned one time trying to turn left by the cameras.  Belmont and Kedzie going northbound.  What a ridiculous intersection. I got screwed by a cab that was just sitting there at the curb on the other side of the intersection southbound, who decided to make a break for it after I entered the intersection on a green and just before I was turning left blasted straight.  I had to slam on the brakes and stop in the middle of the intersection or hit him. Light turns yellow for the briefest of  instants as I sat there, and then red.  Flash-flash-flash $98 fine please, came in the mail.  How neighborly.  

I just don't go that way any more. Learned where all the redlight cameras are and just avoid them if at all possible if I have to turn left at that intersection.  

My problem with red light cameras apart from the many good reasons already stated in this discussion is that I don't think failure to stop is a large problem. Most drivers do stop. I find it very rare that somebody blows off a stop light. Usually, that person is a distracted driver, has some personal problem or simply screwed up and hopefully lived to tell about it. The bad behavior we see rarely has to do with failure to stop. Also, as a cyclists I find it a little hypocritical to have a red camera. Why? the camera faults a driver who has slowed down, looked, checked everything but perhaps rolled a bit and not come to a complete stop before making that right turn. Behavior that 99% of us do 99% of the time we are on the bike. Sure, that person is driving a large metal machine that can kill people but I am not describing predatory behavior. This began as a plague in the suburbs where scores of tickets were written with the intent to make money and no intent to make roads safer. As already discussed, that is what  is happening here in the big city. 

I assume most of us agree that we want people to obey traffic laws, to be courteous to others on the roads, to operate as if the road is not their personal domain. I prefer to have intelligent beings (Police officers) making those decisions when enforcing the rules. 

RSS

© 2008-2016   The Chainlink Community, L.L.C.   Powered by

Disclaimer  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service