Speed cameras installed at 16 new locations to catch Chicago motorists driving too fast near schools and parks will begin spewing out warning notices on April Fool’s day, but it’s no joke.
Ticketing will begin on May 15. That’s after a 30-day warning period followed by a two-week “black-out period” to make certain drivers can receive any warning in the mail before citations are issued.
The sixteen locations announced Wednesday are the first of 50 that Mayor Brandon Johnson vowed to install to generate $11.4 million in 2025. It was part of the compromise plan to balance his narrowly approved 2025 budget after the City Council balked at raising property taxes.
The new cameras are located at: Bickerdike Square Park, 1455 W. Grand Ave; Lorenz Brentano Elementary School, 2716 W. Logan Blvd; Trumbull Park, 2310 E. 103rd St.; Palmisano Park, 2728 S. Archer; Senka Park, 3510 W. 55th St; Mahalia Jackson High School, 8740 S. Vincennes; Skinner Park, 1341 W. Jackson; James Thorp Elementary, 3665 N. Austin and Winnemac Park, 5059 N. Damen.
Speed cameras have also been installed at: John Garvy Elementary, 6824 W. Foster; Lincoln Park, 220 W. Fullerton; James Farnsworth Elementary, 5432 N. Central; Lake View High School, 4118 N. Ashland; Chase Park, 4714 N. Ashland; Broadway Armory Park, 5857 N. Broadway and Loyola Park, 7115 N. Sheridan Rd.
Ald. Maria Hadden, (49th), said she not only authorized the installation of a speed camera at Loyola Park — she welcomes it and she’s “willing to risk” the backlash from ticketed motorists if it means improving traffic safety on Sheridan Road.
“It’s very dangerous. We get a lot of North Shore suburb traffic as we are the pass-through to Lake Shore Drive. Sheridan Road is also what separates us from the beach and our beautiful parks,” Hadden said.
“People coming from Evanston and from those northern suburbs race down Sheridan Road. I get lots of traffic accidents, and a lot of complaints and concerns from constituents.”
Hadden said she has tried adjusting signal crossings, improving lighting and re-striping and resurfacing the street. None of it has helped to slow motorists down.
“Because it’s an IDOT road, there’s nothing else the city can do… So I’m hoping this does some good for us… I think it’s going to have a positive impact on slowing down vehicles and making it safer,” she said.
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot lowered the threshold for speed camera violations to just 6 mph over the limit, generating an avalanche of new violations. Lightfoot fought hard to keep it amid stiff opposition from the City Council.
Near schools, enforcement hours are between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday on school days. The speed limit is 20 mph when children are present, and the posted speed limit when no children are present.
Cameras installed near parks will churn out warning notices and tickets when each park is open. That’s normally 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
Chicago Department of Transportation spokesperson Erica Schroeder said the sixteen new locations were chosen “using a data-driven process that uses crash data and stakeholder feedback to identify areas experiencing traffic safety concerns.”
State law limits the locations to within 660 feet of a park or school boundary.
Fines are $35 for traveling between 6 and 10 mph over the speed limit. It jumps to $100 if the recorded speed is 11 mph or more over the speed limit.