The cameras are installed at one of the busiest intersections in DuPage County, near the Oak Brook Center Mall.
[Ads /]
It remains business as usual at the intersection of Route 83 and 22nd Street, where red light cameras snap photos of vehicles that allegedly go through red lights. The village of Oak Brook Terrace is sending out $100 tickets, but officials with the neighboring village of Oak Brook say it needs to stop.
"We all know it's about money. Revenue. Legal or illegal. That's why these cameras are there," Oak Brook Village Trustee Mike Manzo said. "These cameras are not there because of safety."
Village of Oak Brook officials claim the red light camera program is rooted in corruption. Former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci was convicted of accepting money to allow the cameras in the city. SafeSpeed installed the cameras but has denied knowing about the kickback scheme for which the former mayor was convicted. That scheme involved an outside sales company.
SEE ALSO | Former Oakbrook Terrace mayor pleads guilty in red-light camera bribery scheme
IDOT ordered the cameras turned off earlier this spring, and crews covered them with black hoods. But Oakbrook Terrace officials appealed and got a restraining order to get the covers removed and the cameras turned back on.
Oakbrook Terrace maintains the cameras increase safety at one of the busiest intersections in the area. Mark Wallace, who runs Citizens to Abolish Red Light Cameras, disagrees.
[Ads /]
"Universally these cameras produce more accidents than they prevent," Wallace said.
In an effort to get the cameras turned back off, Oak Brook's mayor wrote in a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker: ""I am now calling on you to issue an Executive Order immediately shutting down and removing all red light cameras known to have at their epicenter any act of corruption."
Pritzker's office, however, maintains "The Governor does not have the legal authority to ban a red light camera by Executive Order, let alone violate a court order with an Executive Order."
"What I find so interesting is that most elected officials support the red light cameras for whatever reason, but the people do not," Manzo said. "The people are unified against these red light cameras."
Oakbrook Terrace issued a statement saying that studies continue to show that red light cameras improve safety and save lives.
The village of Oak Brook plans to take up the issue at their board meeting Tuesday night.