Libertyville to monitor red light runners
Libertyville will join the growing list of suburban communities to use cameras to catch red light runners.
The village board Tuesday approved a contract with LaserCraft Inc., with the intent of reducing the number of accidents at various intersections.
"You're trying to change behavior," said G. Burbank Herndon, vice president of the Georgia-based company.
Police Chief Pat Carey, who has been working on the process for several months, said the department responds to 1,200 accidents each year, and 10 percent of those involve injuries.
After studying accident data for a three-year period, Carey has fashioned a list of 10 "favored locations" at which cameras could be placed. Cameras are expected to be installed at a minimum of four intersections.
Among them are routes 21 and 137, the most frequent location of accidents. Others are at Route 137 and Butterfield Road, Artaius Parkway and Route 21, and, Route 45 and Peterson Road.
Authorities estimate there are 15 to 35 red light runners on village streets on a given day.
"There's clearly a need for the system," Herndon said.
Four companies, including LaserCraft, submitted bids. But Village Attorney David Pardys said cost protection offered by vendors if revenue to the village fell below the cost of the system, was contrary to state law that authorized red light enforcement.
The law states a municipality must pay for the system based on the value of the service and not on the amount of revenue it generates.
After further talks with the vendors, the village opted for a contract with LaserCraft, which calls for the village to pay the company $31 for each automated ticket issued.
The flat fee provision would keep financial risk as low as possible, and the contract "would be in a better position to survive a legal challenge than contracts in other Illinois communities," that address revenue shortfalls, the village board was informed.
Tickets carry a $100 fine and the collection rate is about 70 percent.
Only red light violations can be prosecuted under the state law, Carey said. Each alleged violation would involve the review of three still photos and a video loop to determine the circumstances.
"We'll reach an agreement on who will be ticketed or not," Carey said.
Cameras could be up and running within 90 to 120 days.
Libertyville is a special case, according to Herndon, because cameras will be placed on some state routes, requiring permits from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
A test program in Chicago is the only one with IDOT approval, according to Herndon, although his company is pursuing similar approval for intersections in Willowbrook, Plainfield, Norridge and Hoffman Estates. The contract is for one year, with options to extend for four more years. It can be terminated with 30 days notice.