MMC
11-12-2011, 07:25 AM
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/chicago/state-lawmakers-approve-speed-cameras-chicago-124150845.html?bouchon=602,il
http://l.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/11/10/aptrafficcam-main.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/J.mvZYJi7fgsJcPrd5fAag--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/localchi/speedcamera2-loc.jpg
CHICAGO (CBS) — State lawmakers have approved legislation to allow the city of Chicago to use cameras to catch speeders near city schools and parks.
The governor's office said he would review the legislation when it reaches his desk.
The mayor has been pushing to use existing red light cameras and mobile cameras to catch speeders in the act within 1/8 mile of schools and parks in Chicago.
The cameras would ticket cars going more than five miles per hour over the speed limit.
"The goal is to change people's behavior. You have education, engineering and enforcement and if you don't have the enforcement, the other two aren't as effective," CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein said.
Emanuel insisted the city is not trying to use the speed cams as revenue generators. He says they are part of an overall strategy to protect children.
The mayor has pointed to city statistics that showed pedestrian fatalities near intersections went down 70 percent after red light cameras were installed.
The Chicago Department of Transportation's before and after study of the city's 109 red light cameras found 53 fatalities — 26 of them pedestrians — before the cameras started snapping pictures and triggering tickets, compared to 21 fatalities — six of them pedestrians — after the cameras went in.
But a secret study obtained by "The Expired Meter" website showed that speed cameras could be a much bigger cash cow for the city than red light cameras.
Mike Brockway's "The Expired Meter" website has the results of a trial run of seven red light cameras temporarily enabled to detect speeders in April and May and Brockway said the study shows those cameras alone would have generated more than $100 million in speeding ticket revenue.
That study found speeders were 20, 30, even 60 times more common than red light runners, who are already contributing millions to city coffers.
Regardless, if Quinn signs off on the legislation, the number of traffic cameras in the city could skyrocket.
Right now, the city has red light cameras in 79 locations within a 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. Those are the cameras Emanuel said he wants to modify to catch speeders and they cover about 3 percent of the city.
But the legislation would also allow entirely new cameras close to schools and parks and a Chicago Tribune analysis of the proposed legislation to allow speed cameras in the city showed the legislation would allow at least 47 percent of the city to be covered by the cameras — not including areas around colleges and universities.
Any motorist busted by a camera would be sent a ticket in the mail. Sponsors said the tickets would be sent to the owner of the car caught speeding. The cameras would only take photos of the speeding car's license plate, not the driver.
The owner would be subject to a $100 fine and five unpaid fines would result in the loss.....snip~
First.....I am all for the safety of children in and around schools. But not at the cost of the Government being allowed to use safety as a means to generate revenue for cities that have not been able to balance their books. Nor as a means to basically say to any citizen that once you go out into the public that you can be picked up on camera. If not following the law then you will be sent something in the mail and told to pay a fine and or go to fight in court.
Using the rational so that they would not have to pay for more emplyees as crossing guards is not a good enough excuse either. As there are some parents that have nothing to do and would volunteer to be assisting schools. There are PTA's and it is way to have parents who are concerned about their kids and education to become more involved with the schools.
What better to have Parents who are on the up and up being around schools. Keeping eyes open. There would have to be some sort of affect. Some parents are known in the neighborhoods. Their kids are known as well some of their friends. They would be less apt to start shit or get into shit if they know that parent. Which again many of these types of parents would be interested in volunteering.
Shouldnt parents in that school district be supporting that district and or part of that suburb? We are talking about parents that are not in the workforce to top it off. So there is no affect from that standpoint. Bring back recess and do the same damn thing. This way there is no need for teachers to give up that time to go and keep an eye on the kids. Twice a day at 15 mins amounts to 30 mins of time a teacher can work on classroom work. Or have a meeting with faculty then. instead of taking off for those institutional days. Where kids basically get a day off or half so the teachers can catch up on things.
Note that 47% of the city of Chicago would be under surveilence. Also not mentioned are other Zones that are Photo-Enforced Red-lights and speeding Zones. Not Just the Red-light Cameras to catch those going thru red lights. Also not mentioned are that Police Depts have Cameras that observe certain parts of the City already. Which is done in most suburbs. As well as placing Cameras at certain toll-boths. Which also does not include CTA train stations and now a couple of Bus-Hubs and or the Subway. http://politirant.com/Smileys/oldrant/rant.gif
http://l.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/11/10/aptrafficcam-main.jpg
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/J.mvZYJi7fgsJcPrd5fAag--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTE5MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/blogs/localchi/speedcamera2-loc.jpg
CHICAGO (CBS) — State lawmakers have approved legislation to allow the city of Chicago to use cameras to catch speeders near city schools and parks.
The governor's office said he would review the legislation when it reaches his desk.
The mayor has been pushing to use existing red light cameras and mobile cameras to catch speeders in the act within 1/8 mile of schools and parks in Chicago.
The cameras would ticket cars going more than five miles per hour over the speed limit.
"The goal is to change people's behavior. You have education, engineering and enforcement and if you don't have the enforcement, the other two aren't as effective," CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein said.
Emanuel insisted the city is not trying to use the speed cams as revenue generators. He says they are part of an overall strategy to protect children.
The mayor has pointed to city statistics that showed pedestrian fatalities near intersections went down 70 percent after red light cameras were installed.
The Chicago Department of Transportation's before and after study of the city's 109 red light cameras found 53 fatalities — 26 of them pedestrians — before the cameras started snapping pictures and triggering tickets, compared to 21 fatalities — six of them pedestrians — after the cameras went in.
But a secret study obtained by "The Expired Meter" website showed that speed cameras could be a much bigger cash cow for the city than red light cameras.
Mike Brockway's "The Expired Meter" website has the results of a trial run of seven red light cameras temporarily enabled to detect speeders in April and May and Brockway said the study shows those cameras alone would have generated more than $100 million in speeding ticket revenue.
That study found speeders were 20, 30, even 60 times more common than red light runners, who are already contributing millions to city coffers.
Regardless, if Quinn signs off on the legislation, the number of traffic cameras in the city could skyrocket.
Right now, the city has red light cameras in 79 locations within a 1/8 of a mile of a school or park. Those are the cameras Emanuel said he wants to modify to catch speeders and they cover about 3 percent of the city.
But the legislation would also allow entirely new cameras close to schools and parks and a Chicago Tribune analysis of the proposed legislation to allow speed cameras in the city showed the legislation would allow at least 47 percent of the city to be covered by the cameras — not including areas around colleges and universities.
Any motorist busted by a camera would be sent a ticket in the mail. Sponsors said the tickets would be sent to the owner of the car caught speeding. The cameras would only take photos of the speeding car's license plate, not the driver.
The owner would be subject to a $100 fine and five unpaid fines would result in the loss.....snip~
First.....I am all for the safety of children in and around schools. But not at the cost of the Government being allowed to use safety as a means to generate revenue for cities that have not been able to balance their books. Nor as a means to basically say to any citizen that once you go out into the public that you can be picked up on camera. If not following the law then you will be sent something in the mail and told to pay a fine and or go to fight in court.
Using the rational so that they would not have to pay for more emplyees as crossing guards is not a good enough excuse either. As there are some parents that have nothing to do and would volunteer to be assisting schools. There are PTA's and it is way to have parents who are concerned about their kids and education to become more involved with the schools.
What better to have Parents who are on the up and up being around schools. Keeping eyes open. There would have to be some sort of affect. Some parents are known in the neighborhoods. Their kids are known as well some of their friends. They would be less apt to start shit or get into shit if they know that parent. Which again many of these types of parents would be interested in volunteering.
Shouldnt parents in that school district be supporting that district and or part of that suburb? We are talking about parents that are not in the workforce to top it off. So there is no affect from that standpoint. Bring back recess and do the same damn thing. This way there is no need for teachers to give up that time to go and keep an eye on the kids. Twice a day at 15 mins amounts to 30 mins of time a teacher can work on classroom work. Or have a meeting with faculty then. instead of taking off for those institutional days. Where kids basically get a day off or half so the teachers can catch up on things.
Note that 47% of the city of Chicago would be under surveilence. Also not mentioned are other Zones that are Photo-Enforced Red-lights and speeding Zones. Not Just the Red-light Cameras to catch those going thru red lights. Also not mentioned are that Police Depts have Cameras that observe certain parts of the City already. Which is done in most suburbs. As well as placing Cameras at certain toll-boths. Which also does not include CTA train stations and now a couple of Bus-Hubs and or the Subway. http://politirant.com/Smileys/oldrant/rant.gif