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.

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 Mostly it's people that stop past the line so they can watch for traffic from the left, or gently roll through a right on red. The ticket's in the mail.

 I'm an Old Testament kind of guy. If I get hurt or killed at an intersection I want the dude who did it to be caught and put in the stocks.

I think traffic cameras are a good way to make sure a hit-n-runner gets theirs, but cameras can't take the place of real police. 

This is an interesting side effect of the cameras. They see everything at the intersection and that data can be captured for reasons other than giving a ticket. They can see who ran over somebody, or perhaps who did some other bad act at the intersection. Those of us who read 1984 long  before the date on the book are a bit creeped out by this (They are watching us...) but it does do some good. 

The 'big brother' cameras are what you guys are talking about, right? They will always be there. There are many 'types' of cameras at most intersections. Just look up and you'll see them. They see you !

The red light cameras only take snapshots, and the sensors are only active for about fifteen seconds after the light turns red. So it's not the same as say the police cameras with flashing lights. Unless a biker is also running the light, passing a right turning car on the right (or is running the light on the cross street since intersections have a period of red all around), there's not much chance a picture would catch a collision.

tricolor, so the blue light crime cameras are somehow different than the red light/speed cameras??

The police cameras are like the common CCTV systems that both passively record surroundings and can be operated remotely to watch a specific person or location. There was an incident a few years ago where an operator was watching a loud party with the camera, then swung it away when the police arrived and had it look at a wall, so there was no way to confirm or deny complaints filed against the CPD.

The red light cameras are triggered by sensors that also trip a flash to get a single image. Some places may have a combination system but the single shot would be cheaper so I'll bet that's more common.

With few exceptions, drivers who are ticketed by the red light cameras are those who thought they could get through under the yellow light, but due to the short yellows in Chicago, they get nabbed.  It is a rare case when a driver deliberately and flagrantly goes through an intersection on a red light.  I frequently see, however,  bikers who intentionally run red lights, even at major intersections, but they do not get ticketed. I am all in favor of ticketing those who flagrantly run red lights, whether they are bikers or drivers, but this system of cameras was not set up for this.  The laws on this should be enforced against all who break them.

If a driver, who is obeying the law, must choose between hitting a biker who deliberately ran a red light and hitting another car, while the biker who caused the accident gets away, what should he do?

In addition, the yellow light times should be increased.  While a car that enters an intersection on a yellow light can get through the intersection before the cross traffic light turns green, the same can not always be said for a bike, or a person who can not walk fast.  A biker (or slow walker) can enter the intersection just as the light changes from green to yellow, but then get stuck as it changes to red, and the cross traffic gets the green light.  Longer times would make biking safer.

I think those pedestrian wait timers are a terrific idea. I would like to see them everywhere. But lets take them to the next level. https://youtu.be/SB_0vRnkeOk

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