Oak Brook Red Light Camera Lawsuit Dropped

OAK BROOK, IL — After an ongoing battle, Oak Brook has suddenly dropped its red light camera lawsuit against Oak Brook Terrace. The Oak Brook village board announced Thursday that it would no longer pursue the jurisdictional challenge to red light cameras Oak Brook Terrace installed and plans to operate at the corner of 22nd Street and Route 83, according to Chicago Tribune.

The controversial red light cameras were approved for installation in 2016 without Oak Brook's approval. Oak Brook officials responded by filing a lawsuit against IDOT and Oak Brook Terrace officials in January. Their protests came from the fact that the red light cameras were in an intersection that is under the jurisdiction of Oak Brook. Officials also worried that nearby Oak Brook businesses would be adversely affected by the red light cameras.

>>Related: Controversial Red Light Cameras Still Inactive Until Court Decides Who Has Jurisdiction

These protests make it even more surprising that Oak Brook dropped the lawsuit, especially considering the more than $100,000 in legal fees the village has shelled out so far. The decision to drop the suit (which was done without any public explanation) is favored by Village President Gopal Lalamani, who told Chicago Tribune the village needs to keep legal fees from mounting.

Nevertheless, this decision to drop the red light camera lawsuit has met with disapproval from current and past village board members. Michael Manzo, a current Oak Brook Village Board member, mentioned something that may be on the mind of many Oak Brook villagers when he told Chicago Tribune, "Why would the board majority be afraid to discuss this and express their opinions in public session if they have a good reason for dropping the lawsuit?"

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