Group: Cameras needed to improve public safety
Last week, 14 aldermen tried and failed to force a vote on a plan to eliminate red- light and speed cameras by 2018.
That’s 12 votes short of 26 needed for passage, but too close for comfort for the Active Transportation Alliance— especially when mayoral challenger Jesus “Chuy” Garcia is campaigning on a promise to eliminate redlight cameras on day one, if he wins the April 7 runoff.
Now, transportation advocates are fighting back with a campaign to highlight the people they say are the “real victims” who’ve been forgotten in the political furor over red- light cameras: the 21,000 people seriously injured or killed every year in traffic accidents on Chicago streets.
They’re launching a Chicago version of “Vision Zero,” an international traffic safety movement that relies heavily on surveillance cameras and photo enforcement.
It’s based on the principles that no loss of life to traffic accidents is acceptable and that red- light cameras that serve as police force “multipliers” are pivotal tools that can prevent crashes.
Ron Burke, executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance, said Monday that he’s concerned the debate over red- light cameras has turned into a game of political football that could culminate in the loss of an “important traffic safety tool.”
He noted that, in 2012, there were more than 77,000 reported traffic accidents in Chicago, with 145 people killed and nearly 21,000 seriously injured.
“This is no time to throw the baby out with the bath water,” Burke said. “If it goes away all together, who’s gonna enforce these traffic laws? Who’s gonna be there when motorists are running red lights and putting people in danger?”
“The reality is that most cities don’t have enough police officers to enforce traffic laws. Photo enforcement is a great way to bridge that gap and effectively multiply the power of the police to enforce the law. If the cameras go away, it’s not likely that red lights are gonna be enforced anymore, or enforcement will be spotty, at best.”
To address what Burke called “legitimate concerns” about the fairness of redlight cameras, the ATA is proposing an independent task force composed of transportation planners, engineers, academics and other traffic safety experts.
They would be charged with taking a “level- headed look” at the 302 red- light cameras that remained at 149 Chicago intersections after Mayor Rahm Emanuel took down 50 more cameras to put out a political fire that threatened to burn his chances of re- election.
“Important issues with the program have been called into question that deserve careful consideration. Some changes may very well be warranted,” Burke said. “Let’s make sure the cameras are located at intersections where they do the most good.”