Speed Cameras to Watch Out For in Chicago — MAP

The city of Chicago has implemented new, stricter speed camera rules at the beginning of this month that will ticket drivers going 6 mph over the speed limit. In Children’s Safety Speed Enforcement Zone, which are near city schools and parks, the speeding fine for over 6–10 mph is $35, and anything above 10 mph is $100.

A grace period of one month after the installation was allotted to Chicagoans, beginning in January, and during the first week of this grace period, the Finance Department sent out 52,498 warning notices.

Due to this newly enforced fine, the city is looking to receive millions in speeding tickets throughout the course of a year. According to an analysis by the Chicago Tribune, a full year would amount to 2.7 million tickets, adding up to $95.5 million in total revenue. Mayor Lori Lightfoot claims that this would help closing the $1.2 billion deficit.

As a result, this new rule has garnered widespread criticism from many Chicagoans, claiming that these fines are too high and opportunistic, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic instability being faced by people all across the country.

The map below shows the locations of these speed cameras by city neighborhood. Many of the cameras are located in the north and west neighborhoods of Chicago. The neighborhood with the highest concentration of speed cameras is Belmont Cragin with a total of 11 cameras, and the second highest number of speed cameras is located in the southwest neighborhood of Gage Park with 10 cameras. All across Chicago are a total of 161 speed cameras.

Another way to track down these speed cameras is by going on the Chicago Department of Transportation’s website. All locations of Automated Enforcement cameras are on CDOT’s Traffic Tracker website, which also includes signs and pavement markings indicating to drivers if they are entering an automated speed enforcement Safety Zone.