Village officials announced that the red light photo enforcement program in Gurnee has officially ended 16 years after it was implemented, which they say saved lives.
The Village of Gurnee concluded its red light photo enforcement program as of July 5 following the expiration of its contract with Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., which is now Verra Mobility.
The decision to end the program was made after an evaluation of its long-term impact on traffic safety and its ongoing operational challenges.
The program was established in 2009 and the initiative aimed to reduce red light violations and improve safety at intersections with higher crash rates, according to Gurnee Police Department Public Information Officer Shawn Gaylor.
The program delivered measurable results over its 16-year operation, Gaylor said.
From 2004-2008, Gurnee averaged 1,424 traffic crashes per year, with a peak of 1,521 in 2008.
The program went into effect in 2009 and in the five years that followed, the average dropped to 967 crashes annually — a 32% reduction.
“This program was never about catching people, it was about protecting them,” Gurnee Police Chief Brian Smith said.
“And based on the data, it worked. Our roads became safer, and driver behavior improved not just at the camera locations, but throughout the Village,” Smith said.
Officials say the sustained improvement is known as the “halo effect,” where drivers become more cautious across the community and not just where enforcement is visibly present.
Crash rates in Gurnee have remained below pre-2009 levels even with increased traffic volumes and development, Gaylor said.
The village said they faced increasing operational challenges in recent years, which included vendor support and responsiveness becoming inconsistent, maintenance delays affecting system uptime and cameras having to be disabled during road construction, which reduced effectiveness.
Even though the program has ended, the village entered a 90-day wind-down period where no new violations will be issued after July 5 and any citations for violations that occurred on or before July 5 are still valid and must be resolved.
Drivers can continue to pay tickets online. All camera equipment is being removed during the period and will be fully decommissioned by early fall.
Gaylor said that red light camera programs have faced public skepticism and some have labeled them as “revenue-driven” or “scams,” which she said was not true in Gurnee.
“We want to be clear; the purpose of this program was, and always has been, safety,” Smith said.
“The revenue generated from citations supported critical public safety initiatives and infrastructure improvements. The numbers speak for themselves. This program saved lives,” the police chief added.
The Gurnee Police Department said it will continue to monitor traffic trends and crash data across the community.
The village may consider reintroducing photo enforcement or implementing other safety measures in the future if there is a significant increase in violations or crashes.
“This isn’t the end of our traffic safety efforts, it’s the beginning of a new chapter,” Smith said. “We remain committed to doing what’s best for Gurnee and we’ll keep evolving to meet that promise.”