Red-light cameras pulled for good near Oakbrook Center after legal fight

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. - A state appeals court has ruled that Oakbrook Terrace does not have the authority to operate red-light cameras near Oakbrook Center Mall, as jurisdiction over Route 83 belongs to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). 

The court also found that the city violated permit terms by failing to submit required post-installation reports to IDOT.

The cameras, located at the intersection of Route 83 and 22nd Street, were installed without proper authorization from IDOT.

Timeline:

On May 13, 2022, red-light cameras in Oakbrook Terrace were covered up after orders from the state. 

On May 23, 2022, the former mayor of Oakbrook Terrace, Tony Ragucci, pleaded guilty to taking kickbacks to support the use of red-light cameras in his community.

In February 2023, Oak Brook filed a Freedom of Information Act request over red-light cameras in neighboring Oakbrook Terrace after Oakbrook Terrace collected more than $275,000 from traffic camera violations for September, October and November of 2023. 

Oak Brook had called the program corrupt and Oakbrook Terrace fired back, saying the request for camera information was a misuse of the FOIA process and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

In June 2023, a DuPage County judge ruled in favor of the Illinois Department of Transportation’s permit revocation of red-light enforcement cameras in Oakbrook Terrace. 

What's next:

With the court's ruling, the red-light cameras near Oakbrook Center Mall will not be reinstated. Oakbrook Terrace officials have not yet announced any further actions or plans regarding traffic enforcement in the area.