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More cop cameras to guard railways in Illinois (The following article by Virginia Groark was posted on the Chicago Tribune website on May 17.) CHICAGO -- Starting next year, motorists who drive around lowered gates at railroad crossings or stop on the tracks could have photos taken of their license plates, generating a ticket for $250 or 25 hours of community service, under a law signed Tuesday by Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Supporters of the law hope it will prevent incidents like one in Elmwood Park on Thanksgiving eve last year. That night, a Metra train crashed into several cars trapped at a Grand Avenue crossing during rush hour. Sixteen people were injured, but no one was killed. "It's not a final solution but it goes a long way in making our crossings safer," said Elmwood Park Village President Peter Silvestri, who hopes to have the photo enforcement system installed at the Grand Avenue crossing and one at Harlem Avenue. "It enhances enforcement but it also serves as a deterrent to many who will be aware that there is a camera watching them." Under the law, the cameras would take pictures of the vehicle, license plate and driver. Tickets would be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle within 30 days. Repeat offenders could face a $500 fine and a six-month suspension of their vehicle registration. The law expands a state-sponsored pilot program in DuPage County that set up so-called cop-in-a-box programs in Naperville and Wood Dale that have significantly reduced crossing violations, according to Steve Laffey, a rail safety specialist with the Illinois Commerce Commission. In Naperville, the number of monthly violations at the River Road crossing dropped to about 40 a month from 315 during the first year the system was operating, Laffey said. In Wood Dale, monthly violations at the Irving Park Road crossing dropped to 81 from 243, he added. While the systems are effective, they also are expensive. In Naperville, the system cost $296,200 to install and maintain for the first two years. In Wood Dale, it cost $302,000 to build and maintain the system for the first two years, Laffey said. The law does not commit state funds to pay for the systems. Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Claffey said revenue generated by the tickets should eventually cover the costs. From BLE Site
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