Red Light Cameras to be Removed in Boystown, Emanuel Says

Drivers can say “Goodbye” to more than a dozen red light cameras around Chicago, including one in Lake View, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Tuesday.

The controversial cameras will be pulled from 18 intersections after findings showed there were either zero or just one “T-bone” crashes, and a total crash rate of less than 1 percent.

More than 35 cameras in total will be removed, including those at Belmont and Halsted in Boystown. One other nearby camera being removed is the one on North California Avenue near Gordon Tech High School on the border of North Center. 

The announcement comes on the heels of Chicago’s plan to start issuing $100 tickets for drivers caught by the city’s new speed cameras.

Lake View was skipped over in the city's first round of speed camera installations. Other North Side communities, however, should be seeing speed cameras by the end of the year. Challenger Park at 1100 W. Irving Park Road in Uptown, Lane Tech High School at 2501 N. Western Ave. in North Center and Schaefer Park at 2415 N. Marshfield Ave. in Lincoln Park are currently the closest cameras. 

Others nearby speed trackers include one at Horner Park on Montrose and one at Wells Park on Sunnyside Avenue, both in Lincoln Square. 

The 30-day warning period ended last week for Chicago’s first speed cameras. As for the removal of the defunct red light cameras, the Tribune reports they’ll be pulled by Jan. 31, 2014. 

The 18 intersections where red-light cameras will be removed are:

• Osceola and Touhy Avenues
• Kedzie and Devon Avenues
• Harlem and Higgins Avenues
• Sheridan Road and Hollywood Avenue
• Austin and Belmont Avenues
• Cicero and Belmont Avenues
• Halsted and Belmont Avenues
• California and North Avenues
• Wells and North Avenues
• Kostner Avenue and Division Street
• Clark Street and Cermak Road
• California Avenue and 35th Street
• California Avenue and 47th Street
• Pulaski Road and 71st Street
• Wentworth Avenue and 65th Street
• Racine Avenue and 79th Street
• 79th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue
• Stony Island Avenue and 89th Street