Deer Park latest suburb to end red-light cameras
Deer Park next month will become the latest suburb to disconnect red-light cameras.
Citing inconclusive crash data since the two cameras were installed at Rand Road and Deer Park Boulevard in 2010, the village board approved termination of a contract with RedSpeed Illinois LLC. RedSpeed will turn off the cameras June 10.
Deer Park Village Administrator Beth McAndrews said Friday officials started considering removal of the devices a couple of years ago. She said Illinois Department of Transportation data forwarded to RedSpeed showed annual crashes remained about the same before and after installation of the cameras near Deer Park Town Center six years ago.
"Behavior hasn't changed," McAndrews said. "We had 10 accidents in 2006 or '07 and we have 10 accidents now."
Deer Park will join Algonquin, St. Charles, Schaumburg and other towns that have ended red-light cameras.
Algonquin's photo enforcement stopped in April, with officials citing a dramatic reduction in violations from when it started in 2009 to 2015. In 2013, St. Charles turned off its lone camera after five years at Route 31 and West Main Street, which officials said helped improve safety but lost money.
In 2009, Schaumburg dumped its cameras after an eight-month trial run that included a police study revealing few of the village's crashes were caused by red-light violations.
Deer Park trustees reviewed six years of crash data before deciding to end the photo enforcement by a 4-1 vote in late March. About 47,000 vehicles pass through Rand and Deer Park Boulevard daily.
"The intent of the cameras was to reduce accidents and provide a safe intersection along a busy retail corridor in the village," Trustee Dale Sands said in a statement. "However, the data did not show any significant change over the past six years."
Trustee Tony Pietro was the lone objector. He said it was his personal experience the red-light cameras modified his driving behavior.
Deer Park officials acknowledge shutting down the cameras will reduce the village's revenue for a roughly $5.6 million budget running through April 30, 2017. Documents show $207,000 in red-light camera fines were projected for the 2015-16 budget, about equal to 2014-15.
Village President Bob Kellerman said Deer Park is in good financial shape and will do well without the photo enforcement fines. RedSpeed's contract was terminated April 11.