Red Light Cameras - Pro or No?

I've noticed that our friends at the ATA have become quite vocal in support of red light cameras. I wonder if camera-love is widespread among their membership base (in which I'm included). I always ride when I'm not working, but I have to drive on the clock, and I've been nailed twice. Kinda rubs me the wrong way, especially because Chicago seems to have the shortest yellows I've ever seen. Opinions?

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 1, 2010 at 6:10pm

Maybe you are driving too slow when trying to run a yellow:))?

I've only seen it flash when someone is blatantly going through a red.

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Permalink Reply by Joe TV on March 1, 2010 at 6:24pm

No, I gun it every time! - Joking, but seriously, I feel I've had to make a choice between an unsafe stop and a $100 fine.

What really ticked me off was the fact that though I may have been going beyond the speed limit, that was at least partly due to the fact that I was on a long downhill (northbound Pulaski at 71st) that ends at the light (which has a three second yellow - I've since timed it). I would have had to absolutely slam the brakes to stop.

I know this isn't exactly a cycling issue, but I thought I'd bring it up since the ATA is getting loud about it.

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Permalink Reply by heather s on March 1, 2010 at 6:39pm

Going downhill isn't an excuse for exceeding the speed limit.

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Permalink Reply by Joe TV on March 1, 2010 at 6:41pm

I think, legally, it is. Maybe. Kinda. Isn't it? If someone knows for sure, correct me.

UPDATE - just asked the Google gods, and I might be wrong on this one. Poop.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Aberman (Hochstadter) on March 1, 2010 at 6:42pm

Joe, I never thought about being in a big van with a lot of expensive equipment and not having to decide to break (and possibly break stuff) or go through the yellow and get a ticket.

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Permalink Reply by heather s on March 1, 2010 at 6:44pm

If you feel you were caught unfairly, have you contested the tickets? I've heard that those photos are largely inadmissible in court, and that the whole system depends on people paying rather than inconvenience themselves by contesting the tickets. Don't know if that's totally true.

I DO support the cameras, because I see lots of people running red lights. It makes me feel safer knowing that the intersection near my house, at Damen and Division, has a red light cam.

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Permalink Reply by Michael Perz on March 1, 2010 at 6:49pm

Joe TV said:

I know this isn't exactly a cycling issue, but I thought I'd bring it up since the ATA is getting loud about it.

I believe that red light cameras actually make intersections more dangerous which very much makes this a cycling issue. Drivers tend to either speed up to make it through a yellow or aggressively slam on the brakes in intersections where such cameras are present, and whether or not they are fined for running a red bears no relevance as far as cyclist safety is concerned. I think a much more effective way to improve safety at controlled intersections would be to extend the yellows and set the reds to overlap as is common in some suburbs.

Here's a fairly recent study conducted on the matter. There is no mention of cycling, but you should be able to draw your own conclusions from it. Most others I've read seemed to arrive at very similar conclusions. I'll try to find them when I have some time to do so.

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Permalink Reply by Joe TV on March 1, 2010 at 6:50pm

interesting. . . I wonder what would happen if everyone contested.

heather said:

If you feel you were caught unfairly, have you contested the tickets? I've heard that those photos are largely inadmissible in court, and that the whole system depends on people paying rather than inconvenience themselves by contesting the tickets. Don't know if that's totally true.

I DO support the cameras, because I see lots of people running red lights. It makes me feel safer knowing that the intersection near my house, at Damen and Division, has a red light cam.