Judge allows Oakbrook Terrace to reactivate Red Light cameras ordered shut off by IDOT

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. (CBS) -- A DuPage County judge has given the city of Oakbrook Terrace the green light to temporarily reactivate their red light cameras, three months after the Illinois Department of Transportation ordered them shut off.

As CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported, some activists, political candidates, and others came to come to the Oakbrook Terrace City Hall Tuesday evening – calling for the cameras to come down again. Among them were former Cook County Commissioner and current Republican candidate for Cook County Clerk Tony Peraica, and activist and longtime city planner Roger Romanelli.

"Bam! You get a $100 ticket. You get it in the mail. You had no idea you did something wrong," Romanelli said.

The group also wants Gov. JB Pritzker to issue an executive order banning the the camera vendor, SafeSpeed, from operating in the the state.

"This is yet another example of corruption where money drives the process – not the safety of the drivers on the road," Peraica said.

IDOT announced in May that it had revoked its permit for the red light cameras at Route 83 and 22nd Street in Oakbrook Terrace, because despite repeated requests, the city did not submit a post-installation analysis on the effectiveness of the camera in improving safety at the intersection – as per IDOT policy. Oakbrook Terrace was ordered to deactivate its camera system, and black plastic bags were placed over the cameras.

In June, the city filed a lawsuit accusing IDOT of overstepping its authority by ordering the cameras turned off.

On Monday, DuPage County Judge Craig Belford authorized Oakbrook Terrace to reactivate the cameras until the lawsuit is resolved.

Those cameras remained sheathed in plastic bags Tuesday morning, but they likely won't be there for long.

In a statement, Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Paul Esposito said "the safety of the city's residents and traveling public is our number one priority," and the judge's ruling allowing them to turn the red light cameras back on "is a significant step toward achieving that goal."

At the City Council meeting Tuesday, Mayor Esposito added that acquiring revenue is not the purpose of the red light cameras.

"It's been about public safety - never been about revenue for the city. The city is financially strong," he said. "We've had major concerns. We've had fatalities at that intersection - so it's always been about the safety."

But at Tuesday's Oakbrook Terrace Council meeting, opponents repeated the opposite argument, claiming the red light cameras are not about safety, but money.

"Are our roads really about the safety of our people, or are roads corrupt tollways for these rotten politicians to keep making money?" Romanelli said at a news conference outside City Hall.

In May 2020, a study by the former Oak Brook police chief showed crashes at Route 83 and 22nd Street actually increased since the City of Oakbrook Terrace activated the red light cameras in 2017 – from 15 crashes in 2005 to 41 in 2019. That amounts to a 63 percent increase.

"The facts are indisputable that these cameras, at this intersection, have made this intersection more dangerous," Romanelli said.

"It's an excuse to have this money-making machine on this corner," added Oak Brook Village Trustee Michael Manzo. 

"They placed these cameras at locations that have high traffic volume - not high traffic crashes," added red light camera opponent Mark Wallace.

We asked Mayor Esposito about the May 2020 study. He replied: "Well, it depends on whose statistics you're using, but I'm not going to comment on that."

The order to turn off the cameras was not related to former Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Anthony Ragucci's indictment on federal corruption charges, accusing him of taking thousands of dollars in payoffs from a SafeSpeed sales representative, who was cooperating with federal investigators, in exchange for allowing red-light cameras in the suburban city. 

Ragucci pleaded guilty in May, and faces up to about five years in prison under his plea deal.

Now, neighbors and business owners say a pattern of corruption is showing up again.

"This issue of these SafeSpeed cameras out here in the western suburbs is a cabal of corruption," Romanelli said.

"Only in Illinois can you uncover a corrupt scheme and it's allowed to continue," Manzo said.

SafeSpeed has denied any wrongdoing, and has not been charged in connection with the case. The company has said any bribes offered by former employees or representatives were made without the company's knowledge.

We have reached out to Gov. Pritzker's office for comment, but have yet to hear back.

IDOT said it will be working with Oakbrook Terrace city leaders to determine what their intentions are for the cameras – and will comply with the court order. The next court date on this temporary stay reactivating the cameras is in October.

As for when the red light cameras will be back up and running, Mayor Esposito said, "Soon."