This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Politics & Government

Red Light Cameras a No Go in Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights Village Board says no to red light cameras once again.

Back on the agenda, Arlington Heights officials said no to red light cameras for the third time in about five years.

“Unless we had justification to do it we weren’t going to do it,” said Arlington Heights Mayor Arlene Mulder. 

According to Mulder, the cameras, which snap photos of people’s plates as vehicles travel through intersections against red lights, are not needed in Arlington Heights.

Find out what's happening in Arlington Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“The police department did check some of the major intersections to check accident rates,” Mulder said, “In their opinion, there were none that would have been made safer with red light cameras.”

The Arlington Heights police department, according to Mulder, identified the ten busiest intersections in the village.

Find out what's happening in Arlington Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“If the police chief felt the cameras would reduce accidents in those areas, we’d certainly consider it,” Mulder said, “But that’s never been the case.”

Mulder said several companies have called or stopped by her office trying to sell the cameras to be put up around Arlington Heights.

“It’s a money trap,” said Mulder, “They said this could be a ‘moneymaker’ and we just thought at whose expense…the residents?”  

If the cameras are not going to help make the community safer, Mulder said she does not want residents to get hit with tickets, especially if motorists aren’t disobeying red lights.

“When these first came out in other communities, people started to get tickets just by moving up in the intersection,” Mulder said, “Drivers inching forward and all of the sudden there is a flash, and they get a ticket.”

Mulder said the village has no plans to install red light cameras, but that doesn’t mean Arlington Heights has completely ruled out the possibility.  

“If the police chief has concerns with a certain area and asks us to consider it, we certainly would,” Mulder said, “But it would be based on accident reports and what caused them.” 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?