Chicago Made Its Yellow Lights .1 Second Shorter And Raked In $8 Million From New Tickets

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/chicago-made-its-yellow-lights-1-second-shorter-2014-10



***SNIP

The impact was substantial: 77,000 additional red light camera tickets were issued, at $100 a pop, which added up to nearly $8 million forked over by unsuspecting drivers.

Here’s more from the Tribune:

The Emanuel administration quietly issued a new, shorter yellow light standard when the city began the transition from red light camera vendor Redflex Traffic Systems to Xerox State & Local Solutions in February. Confronted by complaints from hearing officers and questions from the Tribune about the tickets issued at shorter yellow lights, the administration reversed course in September and told Xerox to re-establish the three-second standard.

Last week, Inspector General Joseph Ferguson issued a review that found that when the city was handing over the contract to Xerox, the administration directed the company to accept red light camera violations for incidents with yellow light times above 2.9 seconds, one-tenth of a second less than the minimum under Redflex. The city previously had told Redflex not to submit tickets with yellows of less than three seconds.


Read more: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2014/10/16/chicago_shortens_yellow_lights_makes_8_million_off_new_tickets.html#ixzz3GUVsR7s6

[AndreaCG]

1. Rahm is SUCH a jerk

I hope his opponent creams him! Unlike my governor Cuomo's recent primary opponent, I think Chicagoans are well aware of her identity. (No I don't remember her name, just that she's a union official)

[MerryBlooms]

2. Karen Lewis had to pull out of the race because she has a brain tumor. :-(

10/13/2014: Karen Lewis will not be running for mayor of Chicago. Rob Elgas reports.
Tuesday, Oct 14, 2014 • Updated at 9:35 AM CDT

Hours after news broke that Karen Lewis would not be running for mayor of Chicago, a source has confirmed that Lewis has been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.

The source says the President of the Chicago Teachers Union became lightheaded and began experiencing stroke-like symptoms at a campaign event eight days ago.

Karen Lewis Not Running for Mayor

Shortly after, Lewis had emergency surgery.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Karen-Lewis-Has-Brain-Tumor-Source-279087441.html

[marym625]

4. yes, this was sad news

Not just for her and her family but for all of us. I really like her and the way she has fought for education. She cares about the teachers and the kids more than anything else around the subject.

I hope this is an operable tumor but I have not heard.

[AndreaCG]

8. Damn that's awful.

I hope someone credible takes her place.

[SamKnause]

3. Greedy evil fucks

control everything in this country !!!!!!!!!!!!

The citizens of this country are being robbed on a daily basis by evil people who have control over every aspect of our lives.

The 'police' are robbing citizens.

The 'justice system' robs citizens of their freedom.

The judges are corrupt.

The penal system is corrupt.

The politicians are corrupt.

Wall Street is corrupt.

Our elections are corrupt.

Lobbyists are corrupt.

The CEOs are corrupt.

How the fuck do you get rid of so many evil people in power and a change of policies ????



It is sickening !!!!!!!!!!!!

[In_The_Wind]

5. They also caused more accidents by changing the time of the yellow light.

[HereSince1628]

6. My first question when I saw the subject line

was the effect that had on safety.

I suppose traffic control and parking have long been big city rackets, but it doesn't make it right.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

7. hush your mouth now.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ush.

[MineralMan]

9. I don't know about Chicago, but here in St. Paul, MN,

we have fairly long yellow intervals on our traffic signals. It doesn't make any difference. Someone always goes through the intersection after the light has changed to red. Always. I've learned to pay very close attention and not to start moving until I actually see the traffic at a full stop on the perpendicular street.

I don't get this. I stop on yellow if I can do so safely. Always. I also always know what's behind me as I approach a traffic signal, too. If I can stop safely without locking up my brakes, I'm stopping. Every time. If the light has been green a long time as I approach, I don't speed up. I slow down and prepare to stop in plenty of time if it changes.

Nobody needs to be in that much of a hurry. What typically happens to me is that I stop, and some asshole goes by me after the change to red, usually accelerating, besides. Then, at the next light, I catch up to that person anyhow. They've gained nothing, but risked a lot. Why bother? There's another signal just down the road anyhow. So, if you're behind a black Kia Soul in St. Paul and we're approaching a traffic signal, don't count on my blowing through the yellow. I won't.

Drive safely, folks.

[Octafish]

10. Guy really knows how to turn a buck.

Should be on Wall Street... Oh.

[Coventina]

11. This is how the red-light cameras work, they are a money-making scheme, not about "safety".

They also cause more accidents, because people panic at yellows.

It's all a scam.

[hobbit709]

12. They had to cancel them in Houston when the cameras nailed people for making a right on red.

[alphafemale]

13. There has never been a more appropriate place for this. NEVER.

But Chicago sucks anyway.