Aldermen Propose A Ban On Red Light Cameras Installed By Arizona Company

By Anna Deem in News on May 30, 2010 7:00PM

Recently, Hispanic aldermen in the city have been pushing for a ban of all things Arizona to protest the state's controversial immigration law, including the Arizona-based Redflex Traffic Systems company, which installed Chicago's 189 red-light cameras. The company is also in charge of operating the cameras and mailing out the $100 tickets to red light runners. The Daley administration signed a five-year, $52 million contract with Redflex in 2008, which cut the costs of each camera system from $100,000 to $24,500.

"The idea is to boycott Arizona with the expectation that it will hurt them financially, not to do the reverse," Ald. Roberto Maldonado (26th) said to the Chicago Sun-Times, acknowledging that the boycott might not be financially possible after Redflex's contract expires in 2013. "To the extent it's gonna hurt us, it wouldn't make any sense."