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Oakbrook Terrace continues with plans for red-light cameras
Oakbrook Terrace is planning to have red light cameras installed at Illinois 83 and 22nd Street. | Chuck Fieldman—Sun-Times Media
Updated: March 18, 2013 1:16AM
OAKBROOK TERRACE — Oakbrook Terrace is continuing with the required process for the installation of red-light cameras at Illinois 83 and 22nd Street.
City officials met Jan. 10 with representatives of SafeSpeed, LLC, a Chicago company with which Oakbrook Terrace has a contract for the installation and maintenance of red-light cameras. That meeting followed a few months of additional traffic study by SafeSpeed, which were conducted after the City Council awarded the contract for cameras in September.
The next step in the process is seeking approval of the installation from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
If approved, cameras would be installed at the Route 83/22nd Street intersection for southbound traffic on Route 83 and for eastbound traffic on 22nd Street. Those two traffic patterns have experienced the greatest number of intersection accidents since the beginning of 2010, Police Chief Wayne Holakovsky said.
“SafeSpeed advised that I will need to prepare several letters for the justification of this program,” Holakovsky said. “In the next few weeks, the necessary paperwork will be completed and forwarded to IDOT for their review.”
Red-light cameras likely would be operational in the fall if IDOT approval is received.
The decision by the City Council to pursue cameras was met by opposition from the Oak Brook Area Chamber of Commerce and the Oak Brook Village Board.
Tracy Mulqueen, president and chief executive officer of the Oak Brook Area Chamber of Commerce, said cameras would have a negative impact on businesses in the area. The Oak Brook Village Board agreed.
Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci said cameras are a safety issue and would not be done in an effort to generate revenue from fines.
“I understand the concerns of Oak Brook and the Chamber,” he said. “Oakbrook Terrace has been studying this for five years, and it’s for safety. In my opinion, this intersection warrants red-light cameras.
The cameras capture images of vehicles entering the intersections, and citations can be issued to drivers who don’t come to a complete stop before making a right turn on red, or those entering an intersection while the light is red. Revenue from citations would go to both SafeSpeed and the city.
