Illinois Speed Cams in Construction Zones

Let me quess... you are not a highway construction worker.

Of all the places one should slow down, active construction zones are close to the top. There are far too many fatalities in such areas.

If Illinois never collected a cent from such enforcement cameras they would still save the taxpayers money in reduced Worker's Compensation payments, etc.

Yesterday (5/5), I saw the "Speed Enforced by Camera" sign on the entrance ramp to the I-90 Tollway. I never saw a camera or got an alert on my radar detector. That said, a sign and GPS alert is good enough for me. Construction Zones are no place to be speeding. The penalties are huge and the safety of the workers shouldn't be put at risk because you want to save a couple of minutes and burn more gas.

Vandal, where was this entrance ramp to I-90 and which direction?

They used these alot over the past few years when they were re-working I-64 in South-Western Illinois just outside of St. Louis.

That's why I've always been in favor of removing the money from the equation-I'm certainly in favor of protecting highway workers. God forbid you hit one and knock the donut out of his hand. They should give all the money from the cameras to a worthwhile charity, which would remove the appearance of a conflict of interest. I'd like to see it go to Make A Wish Foundation. That way, if some selfish ahole speeds through and gets a ticket the money helps make the wish of a dying child come true. And nobody would be able to say it's a money grab, since they are giving it all away.

The signs are posted at numerous places, but I have yet to see anyone pulled over. My experience in these areas is either traffic is so backed up that speeding is an impossibility (northbound I-294 by O'Hare for example)or traffic is racing along and there is no way to slow to the 45MPH work zone limit without ending up with another vehicle in your back seat!

Hit a worker in one of these zones they are going to throw the book at you, and appropriatly so.

that would be great if it was about safety but it is only about the money. do some research the majority of injuries and deaths to workers is caused by themselves and or construction equipment.

there is plenty of facts, reports, data and statistics about Illinois construction zones to back this up just look around the internet for it.

the best way to reduce workers comp is to educate the workers on working safely not taxing the public more with these "fines" aka taxes to raise revenue for the state.

please tell me how putting a camera in a construction zone going to make it safer? slow people down? they let you speed so they can catch you and collect a speeding tax with the camera. all they want is your money.

Riverside Blvd southbound on I-90 in Rockford, IL. There is road widening between there and the split for I-39/20.

I was talking with Officers from Dist. 15 (Tollways) from the ILSP at the mall in Rockford last week. It was National Police Week and there was a huge display of Police Vehicles and a Police Helicopter. The ILSP was showing off their Speed Camera Van inside the mall. It was a plain white 15 passenger van. I think the fancy orange decals were magnetic. The hardware inside was very high tech.

My impression...when entering a construction zone in Illinois, DRIVE 45!! It will catch you going in either direction. The registered owner gets the ticket. So, if somebody else is driving your car, tell them to slow down. BTW, this was a new van and is an add on to the 3 or 4 already on the road.

I suppose signs at construction areas are also posted so they can catch people going over the speed limit and make more money? I hope the speed signs work, and more people slow down. If more people slow down because an enforcement camera is there, that should be good, not bad. Why is it so hard to accept a speed limit, or the sanction that goes with violating it?

As far as "let you speed" that is the driver's choice. To avoid a sanction, don't speed. I don't thing anyone is forcing drivers to exceed a posted speed limit!

According to http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-speeders-30-may...

Emphasis/bold mine.

If that doesn't prove that it's a money grab, I don't know what will. Who are they protecting at 2-3AM when there is no construction work?

In contrast, the speed limits in school zones do NOT apply when school is not in session.

Illinois is the only state I know of that does this. some states I have driven in have signs with speeds lowered when lights flashing, when the lights are not flashing and no workers present the speed limit is raised back to normal.

They'll give you a ticket if there are workers present or not. The posted sign says "fines are doubled in construction zones", so if you are speeding and it's a construction zone, and you get a ticket, you can count on paying double...

I lived in IL when they instituted the construction zone law and camera enforcement. The camera enforcement and law was instituted after a worker got killed on I-88 from a speeding driver that went off the road, killed him, and injured one other person. I've got a friend that performs construction inspection for IDOT and I've been at job sites with him. You'd be amazed at how fast people go when workers are only 3 feet from the vehicle and separated by only a trash barrel or barricade. It's a truly frigthening experience.

I used to think that the law was made to only protect the construction workers, but shortly after I got a ticket along I-88 at night when no workers were present, a driver was texting while driving and exited his lane. Unfortunately, after he knocked over the barricade, he dropped down the 9" drop since the pavement was removed and ended up getting seriously injured. At that time, the courts would let you go if there were no workers present, so I just had to pay court costs.

So, it's not ONLY about the workers....it's not just about the money....It's also for the driver's safety.

I guess the old proverb "Be careful what you wish for." is true -- at least in Seattle.

read the rest of the article at
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004450668_p...

and get ready for irate divers tailgating, honking and "suggestive gestures". I have no problem when work is in progress, but at 2 AM it is a money grab. It would seem to me that rather than unmarked photo vans that an obvious presence would work better to slow drivers down as opposed to sending them a ticket a week later.

You could argue that the nature of a construction site, (barrells, uneven pavement, etc)make it inherently dangerous.

But, it would change based on the conditions.

I guessing the State law is designed to protect against the worst of those conditions.

I love the construction zones that consist of one reduced speed sign (no barricades, cones, barrels or workers), and no "End speed zone". If the construction workers expect some respect, they need to show it in return to drivers.

I have no issue with slowing down where workers are actually working, or road conditions (width, surface, lane shift) make sense. But for every mile like that, I drive another 20 miles where there is no reason for the reduced speed (other than to only have to buy one reduced speed sign).

Like shooting fish in a barrel. Drive the construction speed limit (or even 10 over), and you're dead meat.

actually there were two incidents that year and neither of which were due to speed! both incidents involved DRUNK drivers not speeders! one was a DRUNK driver who had several DUI's and a suspended license the other was another DRUNK driver who killed a female construction worker.

Blago used these two incidents to persuade the sheep in this state to believe this whole nonsense was about safety when in reality is was just another scam by Blago to generate more revenue.

there is a reason even the liberals in this state are trying to get rid of Blago any way they can they are talking now about impeaching him and it's people in his own party that want him gone.

but that would only promote safety not generate revenue!

like I said earlier they let you speed so they can collect the speeding tax from you. It has nothing to do with safety, if it was about safety they would do the above.

I've seen the signs for the cameras all over. The signs are on I-55 as soon as you get into the construction in the burbs. As to weather or not they have the vans sitting out, I haven't seen any yet. I just go less than 10 over in the construction zones!

There has been construction and speed cam signs up at the northbound 294/I90 junction for at least a year. Never have seen a van anytime of day or night
there. There also hasn't really been any construction going on for months, just barricades and construction signs to slow traffic down.It would be nice if they finish off some of this "construction" someday.

I, too, notice that many of these road construction zones are unoccupied. But, it's too complicated for me to keep looking around for activity and simultaneously keep my car aligned in those cramped temporary lanes. So, I just look for the posted speed limit sign and obey that. They're doing me a favor.

I don't have any inside knowledge about this, but I think road projects work something like this (corrections are welcome!):

The state puts out Requests For Bid (or "Request for Proposal") in the winter and contracts with a few general contractors with the lowest cost per spec for projects covering the entire state. These few contractors immediately plant those orange barrels all over the place. Any project requires hyperexpensive specialized equipment that the contractor doesn't own. That gets subcontracted. There are a limited number of those machines, so it's all a matter of expediting or scheduling.

If taxpayers didn't have "lowest cost" as the primary consideration, those projects could get done quicker. For example, the Madison WI beltline was widened a few years ago and the contract had those dudes working 24/7. I'd be tooling down the highway at 4 am and there they were, working. But they sure finished that off quick. I forget how much was added to the total contract price, but it was necessary given that the beltline is a critical artery in the road system. Also, I recall that the state of California goes for the 24/7 idea in their road projects after earthquakes.

Maybe someone from "The Other Side of The Cones" can pipe up here. Do that, and I promise I will ponder other things while idling on the Interstate.

Thanks!

GregPaul

Does anyone know of any speed cameras that are usually set up on I55 between St. Louis and Chicago? thanks

I drive Hwy 90 from the North toll plaza to Hwy 20 twice a day. All the construction is on the west side of the highway, next to the southbound lanes. Both sides have 45mph limits. Going south in the morning, I see people going at least 70, and there are workers just beyond the barrier. Today, an SUV almost lost it right next to where a construction worker was setting up equipment. I have never seen a cop on that side.

Yet Tuesday, I did see a cop with a speed gun. On the northbound side, which is nowhere close to the workers. You would have to clear a cement barrier, fly over both southbound lanes, and clear the barrier on that side. I don't think many vehicles are capable of such a flight.

According to the evening news, they got over 60 people that day. I guess making money trumps protecting lives any day in this state.

It seems to me that they could have set up the on the construction side and caught just a many if not more speeders thru the construction zone... not to mention they'd be protecting workers. Incredible!

You are correct that the governmental agency advertises for bid. In most states, it is the law that the governmental agencies have to accept the lowest competent bid unless there is a really good reason. The lowest bid is selected to prohibit governments from awarding contracts to favored firms (like mob-backed construction firms). Most projects are awarded on a per project basis and not on multiple projects for the whole state. There are a few contracts issued as an on-call status, where the COntractor has a 1 or 2-year contract and will only perform services if asked.

Generally, the parts opf projects that are subcontracted are small and are given to either specialized firms or DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Entities - otherwise known as minority or women owned firms). One of the items that COntractor sub out is the traffic control, which is where the barrels come from. The barrels are placed according to the traffic control plans, which are prepared by the engineer or traffic control company and approved by the State.

It is true that the "lowest cost" does drive projects to a longer timeline. There are a number of ways to shorten the timeline, like liquidated damages and shorter timelines. Unfortunately, those do come with higher price tags. With less money to spread around, fewer projects get built and roads deteriorate quicker. I worked on the I-90/IL 173 interchange, which was fast-tracked and built very quickly. Now what you're seeing on the I-90 on the southbound lanes is the state adding additional lanes to increase capacity.

I think everyone would love it if every project were fast-tracked. But sadly, the nation and states can't afford it.....especially if the nation or the states repeal their gas taxes, which helps fund these road projects.

so i drove on i294, i55, and i88 yesterday and i saw tones of signs saying speed is camera enforced! does anyone know if there are cameras up? or is it just signs to scare people?

so does anyone have a file for all the speed cameras in il? that would be great to have

Why don't you just drive through at normal speed and let us know if you get a ticket or not? More highway workers are killed by speeding drivers in work zones than policemen are killed in the line of duty, but you never hear any uproar from the press.

This is still no reason to accept photo enforcement, a system that denies peoples rights to face their accuser in court, and is basically a big money grab for the politicians. If what you say is true, I guess thats good news for policemen not getting killed in the line of duty. A better solution would be to use more traditional enforcement in work zones when workers are present. It might not be as profitable, but it will get the safety job done.

Has anyone gotten a ticket from one of these?

Yes. A good friend of mine...$375 clamolas.

The main redlight/speed camera file has IL cameras in it, but only the fixed locations. Mobile locations are excluded since they would be wrong shortly after the file is downloaded.

Yeah, these construction zone speed cameras are supposedly in white vans parked on the side of the road, and moved by the Illinois State Police to a new highway construction location every few days, so POIing them is useless.

But I haven't seen one all summer on Illinois highways, either, and I look for 'em.

(Not that I'm complaining...)

I agree!

I know a guy who got two of these speeding tickets for going 46 ($375) and 47 ($1000) MPH respectively. The cameras don't care if it is only a couple of MPH over...they have zero tolerance policy. My advice, go 40 MPH in the construction zones.

Link: http://www.thenewspaper.com/news/02/293.asp

Wow, --unbelievable!!! !!! !!!

I have seen a couple of camera locations but the traffic was going so slow they were a bit pointless. I wish they made the construction companies work n shifts 24 hrs a day like NY so they would be done quicker. IL seems to drag out construction jobs for a long time.

Doesn't sound like he was doing 5 over at that price....has he slowed down yet???

The management of construction zones in Illinois is pitiful. Wisconsin rarely reduces speed in construction zones and does not reduce lanes during construction. Why can't IDOT take lessons from Wisconsin? If workers are not going to work 24x7, why does the speed reduce from the theoretical 55mph limit to 45mph in non-work hours? Do like Indiana and have signs with "speed limit when flashing" speed reductions. My biggest objection to the speed reductions are that riding a motorcycle make me very vulnerable to speed differentials with unreasonable speeding by some cagers. I've estimated some drivers are going 80 or 90mph through some of these silly speed reductions when the only construction is a 1/2 lane jog through a bridge reconstruction. This has to be 100% enforcement or the Wild West, this mixed traffic speed is asking for trouble.

The amount is the same regardless, so if you are going to go over by a little, you get robbed at the same rate as if you went much faster. Get robbed a second time and they take more of your money.

We live in Rockford IL. I-90 from the I-39 interchange north to almost the WI state line is being widened to 3 lanes in each direction. We have two different friends who's family memebers have received tickets via mail/camera's mounted in the construction zones (north- and southbound). The both fines were in excess of $600 with the second in excess of $700.

In the past two weeks, we have been on the I-90 construction sections and have noticed people doing around 50 mph w/very little traffic to slow 'em down and much slower than previous travels. I suspect the cameras and traffic fine amounts are getting out to people.

How fast were you going?????????

I saw one of the vans a couple of days ago on northbound I-355 in the construction zone between Boughton and 63rd.

OK, then, I guess (having posted that I never see these vans on Illinois highways) I've just been lucky. I do watch for them, but even somebody looking for them is unlikely to spot 100% of them.

Too bas IL doesn't have a law requiring advance warning signs (bright yellow) like AZ does. We have one sign at 1000' and another at 300' from the mobile speed cameras. If you miss those you deserve the ticket for not paying attention.

Bwwahahaha... Your kidding right?
That would 'reduce revenue'.. and we can have THAT now can we?
/sarcasm OFF

...I agree somebody would deserve the ticket for not paying attention if he went past two warning signs.

Illinois DOES have a state law mandating warning signs just before intersections with red light cameras, though I don't disagree with dood's zinger at revenue-grabbing authorities. In most ways, we have a lot of that here in Illinois.

Illinois posts general warning signs about speed enforcement cameras in highway construction zones, but they're fixed signs every so-many miles with no relation to actual camera vans, and people eventually ignore them when the vans are more rarely seen.

Yeah, I remember those signs from when I lived there. I know the fixed signs for red light cameras can sometimes be difficult to see. My wife got a red light ticket on a night when it was raining in Chicago and she didn't see the sign saying no right turn on red or the one for the camera warning. Apparently both were blocked by large delivery trucks. She got a ticket for that one.

In AZ, it's amazing how many people actually get tickets even with the signs. People just don;t pay much attention when they drive. Of course, the signs could be six lanes to your right while you're in the left HOV lane. Still...they deserve it for not paying attention.

"I love the construction zones that consist of one reduced speed sign (no barricades, cones, barrels or workers), and no "End speed zone". If the construction workers expect some respect, they need to show it in return to drivers.

I have no issue with slowing down where workers are actually working, or road conditions (width, surface, lane shift) make sense. But for every mile like that, I drive another 20 miles where there is no reason for the reduced speed (other than to only have to buy one reduced speed sign).

Like shooting fish in a barrel. Drive the construction speed limit (or even 10 over), and you're dead meat."

I do slow down in construction zones, for worker's safety, for my safety. But, as the poster above has stated, there are way too many fake construction zones, zones where nothing is going on, no end of construction sign is ever posted, lanes blocked for no reason, very minor work but they leave the signs up and lanes blocked for no reason at the end of the day, etc