
On Wednesday, Chicago City Council is scheduled to vote on an ordinance raising the threshold for ticketing motorists caught speeding by automated enforcement cameras. Since March 2021, cameras have issued a $35 ticket to those driving 6 to 10 mph above the speed limit; previously, the threshold was 10 mph.
But the scheduled up or down vote presents a choice that is too limited. The debate around traffic safety and equity is too narrowly focused on speed cameras and the punitive structure of fines and fees.