Duffy continues push for elimination of red-light cameras

Springfield, Illinois—The Illinois Senate Transportation subcommittee is set to pass a “shell” bill that will allow legislation on red-light cameras to be included in this legislative session.  A “shell” bill is a legislative maneuver that gets a bill in the queue even though it has not yet been written.

 

Currently, there are five proposals for changing the red-light camera laws in Illinois. Senator Dan Duffy’s (R-Lake Barrington) legislation, Senate Bill 2466, is the only one that calls for elimination of red-light cameras, except at railroad crossings and in construction zones. Other proposals mandate longer yellow lights and one eliminates red light camera tickets for right turns on red. The bill submitted by Senator Munoz (D-Chicago) offers only superficial changes that will not significantly curtail the use of red-light cameras in Illinois.

 

“I’m not sure if this is a ‘shell’ bill or a ‘shell’ game.” said Duffy.  “I don’t vote for ‘shell’ bills because they are blank checks. I like to know what I am actually supporting or opposing.”

 

The Chairman of the Transportation Committee, Senator Sandoval (D-Cicero), promised to bring red-light camera legislation to the floor this legislative session.  Chairman Sandoval has asked all Senators with red-light camera bills to craft a compromise bill that he will insert in the shell bill at a later date.

 

 “I am happy to work on anything that will ultimately get rid of red-light cameras.  Increasing the yellow light time and eliminating tickets for right turns would be a big step forward.  If we need to defeat red-light cameras one piece at a time, that is fine with me,” said Duffy.  “However, I will not put my name on a bill that pretends to eliminate or reduce the use of red-light cameras but in reality doesn't change a thing.  That is typical Springfield stuff and the people of Illinois are tired of it.  People want the red light cameras eliminated.”

 
 
Daily Herald: Possible red-light camera ban faces Senate hurdle

SPRINGFIELD - A suburban lawmaker continues to garner bipartisan support for his proposal to repeal red-light cameras throughout the state, which he says are nothing more than a moneymaking scheme.

State Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican, introduced legislation earlier this year that would remove the controversial ticketing systems across Illinois except at construction zones and railroad crossings. So far, Duffy's proposal has 16 co-sponsors in the Senate.

"Police officers are there to serve and protect the people - not the cameras," Duffy said during a Capitol news conference.

The Illinois Senate Transportation Committee created a subcommittee for Duffy's plan and other red-light camera legislation, which will meet Tuesday in the Capitol. Typically, a subcommittee is where bills are sent to die without getting a vote, but the committee's chairman Martin Sandoval, a Cicero Democrat, promised Duffy a hearing to fully vet the legislation.

If the subcommittee approves Duffy's proposal, it still must go before the full committee before being sent to the full

Read more...
 
Chicago Sun Times: Red light cameras get 2nd look

LAWMAKERS PUSH BAN | Critics say devices cause crashes while making money for municipalities

BY This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Transportation reporter

Illinois state Sen. Dan Duffy (R-Barrington) says he wants anyone running a red light to be punished "to the full extent of the law." But he doesn't think red light cameras are the way to do it.

Duffy is pushing to ban the cameras except at construction sites and railroad crossings. His bill and about a dozen others offering red light camera reforms will be debated in the state Senate this week.

Red light cameras have been a source of controversy since they started going up in Chicago intersections in 2003. Critics claim they're a license for municipalities to print money, with tickets typically costing $100.

"Municipalities have to learn to cut their expenses," Duffy said. "They can't come up with new tax schemes to try to make money. . . . They're setting up franchises on every corner."

Some safety groups, such as the Active Transportation Alliance, say the cameras have reduced crashes and improved driver behavior.

 
Read more...
 
CBS2: State Senator Seeks To Abolish Red Light Cameras: State Senator Seeks To Abolish Red Light Cameras Sen. Dan Duffy: They're 'All About Revenue And Not About Safety'

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ―

Duffy introduced the bill, SB 2466, on Oct. 17 of last year, and it was referred to the Transportation Subcommittee on Red Light Cameras last week. Senate Transportation Committee Martin Sandoval (D-Cicero) will hold a hearing on the bill at 6 p.m. this coming Tuesday.

Early in 2009, a bill came before the state Senate Commerce Committee to expand red light cameras in Illinois. The bill eventually failed, but it led Duffy to pledge he would draft legislation to abolish the cameras altogether.

Red light cameras have already been abolished in Ohio, Minnesota, Texas and other states, Duffy said.

"I feel, and others feel in the state, that cameras are all about revenue, and not about safety," Duffy said.

He called it a "scheme" and said the state should be cutting costs rather than introducing taxes or fees.

Furthermore, a large percentage of the tickets that are generated from the cameras stem from legal right turns on red. Duffy said if the issue were safety, there would be "no turn on red" signs at the intersections rather than cameras.

In addition, every municipality can generate tickets based on its own rules. Sometimes, Duffy pointed out, a driver waiting to turn right at a red light might inch forward from the white line to look at something in the street. Some municipalities allow a driver to advance a foot from the white line, others have their cameras issue tickets if a driver passes the white line at all, Duffy said.

The cameras also have an incentive to generate more tickets, Duffy claimed. He said 30 to 50 percent of the money collected from the cameras goes to the camera companies.

Read more...
 
MyFoxIllinois: Senators Look to Halt Red Light Cameras

By Bill McMorris

SPRINGFIELD – The red light cameras that have irked drivers across the state could be going by the wayside under a news senate proposal.

Sen. Dan Duffy, R-Barrington, is trying to remove red light cameras from all intersections in the state with the exception of railroad crossings and construction zones.

Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, joined Duffy in calling for a repeal of the cameras. He said the traffic monitoring system is not about keeping the road safe, but the $1 billion the state could make through expanding the system.

“If it was about public safety the ticket would follow the driver, but instead it follows the vehicle,” he said. “Anyone could be driving that car — they don’t learn a lesson…if the owner of the car gets a ticket, not the driver, so it’s clearly about gouging the public.”

The monitoring system automatically issues traffic tickets to car owners whose vehicles cross intersection lines. The owners are then forced to arrange their own court date, which is overseen by a hearing officer, rather than jury.

Duffy said the mixed standards of the cameras in towns and cities across the state make the program too tough on drivers.

“There are no set standards for the red light cameras in each town, so every town can generate tickets based off of a different criteria,” he said.
Read more...
 
More Articles...
<< Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>

Page 1 of 13