Mayor Emanuel's Motorcade Keeps Running Red Lights

By Chuck Sudo in News on Jan 30, 2015 8:00PM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Thursday said he would entertain the idea of adding countdown timers to intersections with red light cameras as another reform of a program marred for years by corruption and criticism that the tickets issued by the network are more about providing revenue for the city than public safety.

“I’d rather use technology to enforce traffic safety so our police officers, rather than writing traffic tickets, are actually out there fighting guns and gangs. They can’t be doing both,” the mayor said.

The countdown clocks would be another thing the drivers in Emanuel's motorcade could ignore while they run red lights ferrying the mayor about town. The website "Crime in Wrigleyville and Boystown" listed five different incidents from November through mid-January where Emanuel's motorcade simply barreled through a red light—in one instance to literally enter a city park. We've include three of the incidents for your viewing pleasure.

6700 S. Cornell, Nov. 20, 2014

4000 N. Ashland, Jan. 5

2400 W. Montrose, Jan. 10

These are not isolated incidents. Since 2012, Emanuel's motorcade has been ticketed for running through red lights and speeding through camera zones nearly two dozen times—the very same zones Emanuel says are supposed to protect the safety of children near parks and intersections. (Big Brother, in this case, does know all.)

On three separate occasions the mini tanks in Emanuel's motorcade have been flagged for seizure. Emanuel said he's paid the fines whenever they've been received and said the instances caught on camera are the result of the tail car trying to keep up with the lead car. But the second video clearly shows no tail car while the single-car motorcade enters the intersection well after the light turns red.

If Emanuel wants to tout public safety as the primary reason for the red light and speed cameras, maybe he should get drivers who obey the rules of the road instead of rolling the city streets like His Elective Majesty.