Red light cameras coming to streets in Carol Stream

Come next summer, motorists in Carol Stream will have reason to be wary of yet another speed trap in town.

Trustees unanimously approved a plan Monday to contract with Redflex Traffic Systems of Scottsdale, Ariz., to install cameras at several intersections with heavy traffic, including at least four potential sites along North Avenue.

The exact number of intersections with the red light enforcement cameras won't be known for several months, but Police Chief Rick Willing said they likely will be installed at several intersections with the highest annual accident rates.

"Certainly we want to use the list of most accident-prone intersections as a focal point," Willing said. "There may be some strategy involved in making sure there is a halo effect."

Carol Stream officials said they expect the program would pay for itself through fees collected from traffic tickets issued by the camera systems.

The village also would hire an attorney to handle ticket disputes and pay up to $2,000 in monthly overtime costs for officers to monitor the traffic light system, a cost that's also expected to be covered through the tickets.

Trustees disputed claims the camera systems will be used as a revenue generator for the village. Chicago, for instance, netted $20 million last year for red-light violations caught by cameras.

"It's not about making money, it's about modifying driving behavior," said Trustee Greg Schwarze, a local firefighter. "I've had to cut people out of cars who are involved in these accidents, so I've seen it first-hand."

Carol Stream isn't the first DuPage County community to consider installing scofflaw cameras along its intersections.

In September, Naperville approved a three-year, $1 million plan to install eight cameras at four intersections in town. That same month, Lisle officials approved a similar plan to install cameras at up to five different intersections.

And Wood Dale still is waiting for clearance from the county before mounting cameras at Thorndale Avenue and Wood Dale Road to reduce accidents and red-light violations.