Red-light cameras may come to Geneva
Green means go. Yellow means slow down and get ready to stop. Red means stop.
But if you've been treating a red light like a suggestion, not a command, you may want to think again. Geneva is considering installing digital video cameras at intersections to catch you.
Monday night, the Geneva city council committee of the whole gave preliminary approval to a contract with Redflex, a firm that would run the camera system and does so in the city of Chicago.
Redflex would install the cameras around town. The units detect when a vehicle is about to blow a red light or make an illegal turn on a red; they then record 12 seconds of evidence.
That image is sent to the police department, which determines whether the event is ticket-worthy. If so, Redflex mails you a ticket (the cameras capture your license plate number, and the company looks you up through secretary of state records.) By Illinois law, the company cannot photograph faces.
Redflex collects the fine and, after its fees are paid, gives some of the revenue to the city.
It wants a five-year contract with the city. It charges $4,935 per unit per month, plus $4.50 a ticket, to operate the system. The money would come from the tickets, and the company guarantees the city wouldn't have to pay anything. If not enough violations happen or are paid, the company eats the fee.
But it doesn't think that is likely to happen, based on a survey it took of four intersections July 14. More than 400 red-light violations occurred during a 12-hour period. That included people making illegal left turns, and improper right turns on reds, where they didn't come to a full stop before the turn.
The intersections surveyed were in the top 10 in the city for accidents related to red-light infractions.
If the city council formally approves the plan, cameras would likely be installed at Kirk Road and Fabyan Parkway, Randall Road and Fargo Boulevard, Randall Road and Kaneville/Keslinger Road, Randall Roa and Williamsburg Avenue and Kirk Road and Route 38.
Two aldermen who voted against the measure, Dorothy Flanagan and Ray Pawlak, did so because the city staff has not solicited bids from any other company to provide such a service.
The city would have to amend its traffic laws to make red-light violations municipal ordinance offenses, instead of state traffic law infractions. The city could then fine people up to $100.