Alderman trying to reverse new $35 fine for speeding 6 mph over posted limits
CHICAGO - New, strict rules for Chicago speed cameras are now in effect.
However, some critics say Mayor Lori Lightfoot needs to hit the brakes.
As of Monday, the speed cameras across the city are programmed to ticket drivers for going as little as six miles per hour over the posted limits. The fine is $35.
"That stuff racks up in the city! Three or more tickets, you get a boot on your car. And that's really hard for citizens and residents," one Chicagoan said.
Ninth Ward Alderman Anthony Beale agrees and is trying to reverse the move.
"All I need is 25 other alderman to agree with me and we can reverse it," he said.
But Mayor Lightfoot says it is all about safety. From 2019 to 2020, the city says fatal crashes jumped 77 percent, despite fewer cars on the road during the pandemic.
Beale, though, says the city's data does not tell the whole story.
"When you look at the data, it will not show that accidents are coming around where these cameras are," he said. "On 127th and Eggleston, where you don't have any accidents, there's no park, there's no school, but you have a speed camera there flashing every 10 seconds."
The city says a simple way to avoid fines is to drive the speed limit.
In addition, it is a good idea to know exactly where the cameras are in your area, and you can do that on the City of Chicago's Data Portal.