Lisle ready to turn on Route 53 red-light camera

Motorists on Route 53 may want to pay extra attention this week when approaching Maple Avenue in Lisle.

The village has installed a red-light camera on southbound Route 53 at that intersection to catch drivers who disobey the traffic signal.

The camera is scheduled to go live on Thursday, police Sgt. Ron Wilke said.

Village officials say the camera is an important step to improve safety and traffic flow at the intersection.

Additional cameras are scheduled to be installed within the next few weeks along eastbound and westbound Ogden Avenue at Yackley Avenue.

Wilke said the village plans to have a 30-day grace period along Route 53 in which red-light violators caught by the camera will receive a warning notice. Beginning June 7, however, $100 citations will be issued to the owner of any vehicle that illegally enters the intersection on red.

Wilke said the fine will be a civil offense, meaning it's regarded as a parking violation and won't affect driving records or insurance premiums.

The camera was installed and will be maintained by Lombard-based RedSpeed-Illinois, village officials said.

It's supposed to capture three still images of a vehicle that enters the intersection illegally -- a close-up of the license plate, a picture of the vehicle before it enters the intersection that shows the light has turned red, and an image of the vehicle in the intersection with the red light.

The photos do not show the driver, which is why the citation is issued to the registered owner of the vehicle.

The company also will provide a 12-second video clip of the incident. People who receive violations can visit www.redlightviolations.com to see their alleged offense.

Wilke said company employees will review all alleged violations and then send the ones they believe are legitimate to police. Police then will review the visual evidence and, if they agree with the company's findings, will direct the firm to issue citations.

Motorists have 21 days to pay the fine or choose to contest it by mail or in court, Wilke said.

Police have no idea how many violators the camera will catch, he said, "but I would guess there are a lot more violations than you would think."

The village has been talking about installing red-light cameras since September, he said, and tried to get the word out to residents through efforts like placing posters in stores and including notices in utility bills.

Wilke also has answered a list of frequently asked questions on Lisle's Web site at www.villageoflisle.org.

"We've been pretty aggressive with our community education plan," he said.