Make red-light camera data more accessible, lawmaker says

You just received a $100 ticket in the mail courtesy of a red-light camera. How to pay the fine, view the violation and appeal the citation are clearly spelled out.

But if you want more information, such as crash rates at the intersection and how it compares to other locations, those answers don't come easily.

One suburban legislator says he wants to make it easier for people to access red-light camera data.

State Rep. David Harris, an Arlington Heights Republican, is drafting legislation that would require the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop a uniform reporting standard for red-light camera crash data that municipalities would need to use. The information should be reported annually and put online on IDOT's website, Harris said.

Such legislation could even "be supported both by the 'antis' who hate red light cameras and the 'pros' who are willing to let them exist recognizing their importance (both in safety and revenue) to municipalities," Harris said.

"More information never hurts," he said Thursday. "Let's put this in the sunshine and let people decide what the situation is with red-light cameras."