Speed camera rollback squeaks out of City Council committee

Speed camera Photo credit Getty Images

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A Chicago City Council committee defied Mayor Lighgtfoot's wishes Tuesday and voted to roll back her administration’s expansion of speed-camera enforcement.

The Finance Committee hearing was recessed in the morning, delayed until late afternoon and then packed with city officials fighting Ald. Anthony Beale’s proposal. Beale, 9th Ward, said the mayor's lowering of the speed-camera threshold under which motorists gets tickets generated more than $50 million for the city, and it's a cash grab.

But Transportation Commissioner Gia Biagi said fewer accidents seem to happened near schools and parks since the threshold dropped from 10 miles per hour over the speed limit to just 6 miles per hour.

City Budget Director Susie Park said changing it back would cost the city up to $45 million a year.

Ald. Sophia King (4th) said she feared Black and Brown residents may carry a disproportionate amount of the fines.

Beale convinced just enough committee members to approve his plan with a 16-15 vote. The proposed rollback goes to the full City Council Wednesday.