Off With the Million-Dollar Red-Light Camera

Controversial camera near Woodfield Mall issued over 100 tickets every day

A red-light camera located at Meacham and Woodfield Roads near Woodfield Mall pulled in $1 million in fines for the city of Schaumburg. You'd think the town would be enjoying the extra revenue, right?

Not so much.

Approximately 10,000 tickets were issued at the intersection between November and January. That's over 100 tickets every day.

"The fact that they did issue so many violations indicates that they do have a problem," Red Speed Illinois spokesperson Debra Beerup told the Chicago Tribune.

Most of the tickets were issued to drivers who did not come to a complete stop before turning right on red.

City officials were flooded with complaints, and many Woodfield Mall customers were threatening to never return again. In response, the city decided to deactivate the camera.

"We want to be as friendly to customers as we are to villagers, and continuing to enforce the right turn on red when it wasn't doing anything to improve public safety didn't make sense," said Village Manager Ken Fritz.

The decrease in accidents at the intersection was barely noticeable: from 10 before the cameras' installation to 7.

A second camera at the location still monitors drivers who run straight through the red light.

Matt Bartosik, editor of Off the Rocks' next issue and "between blogs" blogger, rarely shops at any mall anymore.

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