Red Light Cameras to Come Down, Go Up Across Chicago

Some red light cameras in Chicago are coming down—but they’re also going up in new areas after an independent study found they demonstrate “significant safety benefits,” the city announced Monday.

The study, conducted by the Northwestern University Transportation Center, suggested the city continue the program after after it highlighted benefits such as a 19 percent reduction in serious crashes and 10 percent reduction in injury-producing crashes at intersections where cameras were present. The city says, per the study’s recommendation, it will immediately extend the grace period in which drivers are not ticketed when passing through a light that has just turned read to 0.3 seconds—up from 0.1 seconds.

“We want to emphasize that extending this enforcement threshold is not an invitation to drivers to try to beat the red light,” said Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Rebekah Scheinfeld. “By accepting the recommendation of the academic team, we are giving the benefit of the doubt to well-intentioned drivers while remaining focused on the most reckless behaviors.”

The study also found six of the 151 total camera-equipped intersections did not “deliver the anticipated safety benefits.” Data showed the intersections registered a high number of violations but there was no corresponding reduction in crashes.

As a result, according to the city’s news release, the following cameras will be relocated:

• 95th Street and Stony Island Avenue (two cameras)

• Western Avenue and 71st Street (two cameras)