Speed cameras are all about the money.
In March 2021, Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s lower tolerance policy for speed cameras took effect. That policy set up a penalty system for drivers caught speeding – not by police, but by speed cameras. Motorists caught driving 6 to 10 miles over the speed limit can expect a $35 ticket in the mail, and $100 tickets are issued to drivers going 11 miles or more over the limit. Lightfoot said the move would “keep communities safe."
But instead of providing safety improvements, the speed camera ticketing policy has become a huge cash machine for a city constantly on the financial edge.