Naperville to let you fight citations

Naperville will handle hearings for motorists who want to fight their red-light camera tickets instead of sending them to DuPage County Circuit Court.

The city council approved the process for such hearings Tuesday for drivers facing a $100 ticket for being caught running a red light.

Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc. will soon be installing the cameras at the intersection of North Aurora Road and Route 59 and expect to have them operational before the end of the year.

Once installed, there will be a 30-day warning period for violators before tickets are issued.

Violators will receive a ticket by mail that includes a photograph of their vehicle going through the light. Each will be reviewed by a city technician before being sent out.

Those who want to fight their ticket can attend a hearing conducted by a special city administrator that will be held monthly beginning in March.

At the hearing, two police officers will be present and witness testimony will be allowed.

In addition to the $100 fine, motorists who fight the ticket and are found guilty will also pay a $25 fee to cover administrative costs.

The city estimates holding such hearings will cost less than $1,000 a month and will be cheaper both for itself and motorists than going through the county.

Councilman Robert Fieseler consulted with city staff to work on the language detailing the hearing procedure and said while the system is apt to be imperfect at first, he feels it will be fair.

Ultimately, the city would like to install cameras at 10 to 15 intersections throughout the city. In July, the council approved a $374,000 contract with Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc of Culver City, Ca. to install the cameras along state and county roads.

It terminated a contract with its previous vendor, Traffipax, Inc., last spring after numerous delays in getting the cameras up and running.