Speed Cameras Approved: Quinn Signs Off On Rahm's Red-Light Ticketing Measure

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After some stalling, Governor Pat Quinn signed off on a controversial bill Monday allowing Chicago's red-light cameras to enforce speed limits, a revenue-generating measure Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been advocating for since October.

Emanuel touted the legislation as a necessary safety measure for Chicago pedestrians, especially children: the plan calls for cameras targeting school zones and public parks.

"I commend Governor Quinn's signing and the legislature's bipartisan passing of this legislation," Emanuel said in a statement Monday morning. "All this requires is that drivers obey the law near schools and parks to ensure the safety of our kids."

But some claim the speed cameras, which, like red-light cameras, will automatically record infractions and issue tickets, are more about cashflow than the public good. Ald. Joe Moore (49th) is one of many city officials who question the effectiveness of the cameras as a safety measure, and called the move "draconian" and "a revenue-raising tool" when it was first proposed.

Residents have been equally skeptical of the plan, which envelops 66 percent of the city in abutting or overlapping "safety zones" where violations can earn tickets up to or over $100. A Huffington Post poll on the topic found roughly 87 percent of respondents opposed the plan, and The Expired Meter reported that more than 90 percent of calls fielded by Quinn's office about the bill were against it.

Monday was Quinn's deadline to sign or veto the bill approved by lawmakers last fall, which would otherwise have become law July 1.