Red light camera raises red flag in Schaumburg

Schaumburg's public safety committee Thursday endorsed a staff recommendation to keep a red light camera turned off that generated nearly $1 million in fines for illegal right turns on red over 75 days.

Instead, the village will install right-turn green arrow signals at the problematic intersection of Woodfield and Meacham roads.

What will remain, however, are cameras to spot drivers who proceed straight through the intersection on a red light.

Village officials said they were stunned that nearly 1 percent of all drivers who went through the intersection from mid-November to early February received a ticket.

More than 10,000 tickets were issued at $100 each. About 98 percent of these were for turning right on red without coming to a full stop.

"We are all to some degree astounded at the number of people who don't seem to get it," said committee Chairman George Dunham.

Nevertheless, officials say the camera was never intended as a major revenue generator and they believe the necessary reminder of the rules of the road has been sufficiently provided.

From December to January, traffic on northbound Meacham declined 6.68 percent while violations declined 29.3 percent. During the same time, traffic on westbound Woodfield Road declined 8.33 percent and violations declined 26.3 percent.

The village reported that about 50 negative phone calls, letters or e-mails were received and 380 drivers requested an adjudication hearing. But 74 percent of the tickets were paid by last week, when the right-turn cameras were turned off.

Crashes during the enforcement period dropped to seven from 10 during the same time period the year before. Only two crashes during the enforcement period were from turning right on red, while five were the year before.

Schaumburg resident Bob Garrett questioned whether a reduction of three crashes was worth $1 million in revenue.

The village expects to pay the $10,000 cost of the right-turn green arrow signals out of the cameras' fine revenues.

Palatine resident Rich Gylling said he thought the arrow signals were an appropriate measure at what he considered an especially confusing right turn.