Wheeling opts out of Cook Co. red-light camera program

Wheeling isn't against red-light cameras, but they are against Cook County telling them where to install them.

On Monday, the village board became the latest suburb to opt of a county program to put more than 20 red-light cameras throughout the county, including one at Hintz and Wolf roads in Wheeling.

Wheeling already has two red-light cameras, at Milwaukee and Dundee roads and at Wheeling and Palatine roads. They've been up and running for about a year, according to Wheeling police.

At the beginning of the month, the county named 30 suburban intersections under consideration for a yearlong trial period. Leaders of suburbs both in favor of and opposed to having red-light cameras of their own reacted negatively to the fact that county officials never informed them in advance.

On June 15, the county board voted 9-4 in favor of Commissioner Tim Schneider's proposal for an opt-out option for municipalities.

Among the affected Northwest suburbs, Elk Grove Village has seemed the most interested in further discussions with the county.

The village already has a red-light camera program of its own and Mayor Craig Johnson has been a proponent of the cameras.

He said he plans to share the results of the village's enforcement record to date with both county officials and the public in about two weeks.