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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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Larry Nazimek on March 28, 2015 at 6:14am

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.

Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on March 28, 2015 at 6:25am

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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