Western Springs Red Light Fines Go Unpaid: Village

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL — Western Springs last year collected $340,000 in fines as the result of its red light cameras.

About half of that money went for the lease and maintenance of the cameras. The rest, $164,000, went into the village's coffers. The tickets are $100 each.

Of the 4,442 tickets issued last year, a quarter went unpaid. Patch obtained the latest statistics through a public records request.

The two intersections with red light cameras are Wolf Road at Ogden Avenue and Wolf at 55th Street.

All the violations indicated by the cameras are viewed by the police department. In 2021, the police approved tickets in 75 percent of cases.

Here are some of the reasons the village cited for not issuing tickets:

• Authorized emergency vehicle
• Blurred license plate image
• License plate number not found
• No video clip
• Officer discretion
• Funeral procession

The cameras were installed in 2009. According to village statistics, the number of traffic crashes at the Ogden and Wolf intersection dropped to an annual average of 14 from 2009 to 2017, from 23 from 2006 to 2008. At 55th and Wolf, the number fell to four a year, from eight before the cameras.

Western Springs is one of the few area municipalities with red light cameras. Hinsdale, Darien, Burr Ridge and La Grange do not have them.