Towns will get to pitch DuPage on red light cameras

Municipalities seeking to put red-light cameras at DuPage County-controlled intersections have several weeks to sell county board members on the idea.

The county board’s transportation committee on Tuesday delayed a vote on a possible red-light camera policy in order to get feedback from municipal leaders.

Board member Don Puchalski, the committee chairman, said he “despises” the cameras but agrees with other board members who said towns should have the chance to explain why they want the county to have a policy.

If a red-light camera policy is adopted, each proposed location would need to be reviewed and approved by the county.

County administrators are recommending that cameras be allowed only at intersections where at least five “preventable” crashes occur a year. They say about 120 intersections in the county’s highway system meet that standard and account for roughly 70 percent of injury accidents.

Mark Baloga, executive director of the DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, said municipalities want the option to put cameras at intersections their police departments patrol.

“Municipalities want to do this because it’s the most cost effective way to increase safety at the intersections,” said Baloga, adding that studies show the cameras decrease injury accidents.

Responding to claims the cameras are revenue generators, Baloga said, the devices in DuPage aren’t as profitable as some would think.

As a result, municipal officials don’t support a proposal that would give the county 25 percent of the fine revenue from each camera. Another option could be fee-based system where municipalities pay for a permit that covers the county’s administrative costs.

Nevertheless, board member Brien Sheahan said he’s going to oppose any plan for cameras at any county-controlled intersections.

“I don’t think there’s support to do this,” Sheahan said. “Maybe we should just have a vote and vote it down.”