By John Dempsey, WLS-AM News

(CHICAGO) A critic of red light cameras in the Chicago area is blasting the City of Chicago for installing two new cameras on Michigan Avenue.    Mark Wallace of the group Citizens to Abolish Red Light Cameras, told “The Big John and Ramblin’ Ray Show” on WLS that the city is being disingenuous when it claims the new cameras at Michigan and Ontario and Michigan and Jackson are purely about safety.

“At Michigan and Jackson, the reports are that there have been only four accidents within the last four years with any type of injuries, at Michigan and Jackson.   This is a 100 percent money grab.”

The Chicago Department of Transportation issued a statement saying both of those intersections received cameras because they “both have a large number of pedestrians and heavy vehicular movements which make pedestrians vulnerable.”

However Wallace told WLS this is all about the money.

“I don’t think that our public roads should be turned into toll roads.   This is just another form of a tax.   If you are O.K. with the city punishing law-abiding drivers to raise revenue then you would be on the side of red light cameras.   If you’re on the side of safety you would say this is not producing safety.”

The new cameras were installed this week, but the city says violators will not start getting $100 tickets until February 5th.   The city has also installed signs at both intersections to warn about the cameras.

@ 2017 WLS-AM News