Round 3 of the 50 speed cameras tied to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2025 budget will soon start nailing motorists driving too fast near schools and parks.
The seven new locations announced Friday bring to 34 the number of speed cameras installed by the city this year. Sixteen more speed cameras will be installed by Dec. 31 in hopes of generating $11.4 million in additional revenue.
It was part of the compromise plan to balance Johnson’s narrowly approved 2025 budget after the City Council balked at raising property taxes.
On June 1, speed cameras started churning out warnings notices at two locations, in preparation for enforcement on July 15. They are: 1477 W. Cermak near Benito Juarez High School, and 147 S. Desplaines near Frances Xavier Warde School.
On June 15, motorists will have five more reasons to slow down. Warning notices will start going out for newly installed speed cameras at: 4021 W. Belmont near Aspira School; 631 S. Racine near Arrigo Park; 216 S. Jefferson near Heritage Green Park; 8550 S. Lafayette near Perspectives High School, and 2948 W. 47th near Mansueto High School.
Enforcement at those five locations will begin on Aug. 1.
In each case, the 30-day warning period is followed by a two-week “black-out period” to make certain drivers can receive any warning in the mail before citations are issued.
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 that threshold 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 trigger warning notices and tickets when each park is open. That’s normally 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week.
All of the 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.
Last month, Transportation Commissioner Tom Carney told a City Council committee he had “safety in mind” when he decided where to locate the 50 additional speed cameras. He noted that there was a “backlog for many years of requests from Council members” to have speed cameras installed at problem locations.
“Behind those requests are members of the community — whether it’s concerned parents or principals — that were very vocal and letting their elected official know there’s a problem at this location. There’s a safety concern,” Carney told the committee. “This effort that we’ve embarked on in 2025 has really gone a long way to addressing some of these locations that were well-documented as being areas of concern safety and crash-wise.”
When cameras are installed, it results in fewer crashes and lower speeds, Carney said. The number of citations goes down “because people are slowing down.
“If you look at New York City, they have over 2,300 speed cameras in their city. I want to repeat that: 2,300,” Carney said. “We were going from 162 to 212. We’re adding 50.”
Speed cameras are just “another tool in a toolbox” that includes other traffic safety measures, such as pedestrian refuge islands, curb extensions and speed bumps, the commissioner said.