Red-Light Cameras Didn't Make Irving Park & Kedzie Safer, Can Turn Arrow?

IRVING PARK — The red-light cameras at Irving Park Road and Kedzie Avenue have been shut down by the city.

A study by the Northwestern University Transportation Center found that while a high number of citations were issued, the cameras' presence did little to reduce crashes at the intersection. 

The pair of cameras at Irving Park and Kedzie were turned off on Friday. The equipment will be removed and the sidewalks will be restored in the coming weeks, according to a statement from the Chicago Department of Transportation.

A community forum was held in mid-May to discuss the cameras' removal.

Feedback from residents suggested a left-turn signal at the intersection might do more to improve safety and indeed, Ald. Deb Mell (33rd) has submitted a proposal to CDOT for a turn arrow at Irving Park and Kedzie as part of her annual aldermanic "menu" budget.

In total, 12 cameras were deactivated at six intersections on Friday. In addition to the cameras at Irving Park and Kedzie, the affected intersections are:

• Peterson Avenue and Pulaski Road

• Grand Avenue and Oak Park Avenue

• 95th Street and Stony Island Avenue

• Western Avenue and 71st Street         

• Western Avenue and Pershing Road

As of March, there were 306 red-light cameras at 151 intersections across Chicago. Red light tickets cost drivers $100.

Earlier in 2017, the city relaxed ticketing standards, giving motorists three-tenths of a second, instead of one-tenth, to enter an intersection's enforcement area after the light turns red.