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A proposed bill could pave the way for artificial intelligence-driven traffic cameras on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, aiming to prevent reckless driving in high-crash areas.
But first, state officials want to study how advanced AI-driven traffic cameras could impact driver behavior and safety on one of Chicago’s busiest roadways.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Illinois Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, would commission a study to evaluate whether AI-powered traffic cameras improve safety in high-crash areas. If the study finds a positive impact, the bill would allow for the installation of these cameras. […]
If that happens, drivers could be ticketed for going 6 mph or more over the speed limit, with fines starting at $50 and going up to $100 for higher speeds. The AI-enabled cameras could also monitor for other reckless driving offenses, including tailgating and lane-weaving, according to Feigenholtz’s office.
* Sen. Mark Walker…
Through a new bill, State Senator Mark Walker aims to crack down on more than $163 million lost to cryptocurrency fraud in Illinois in 2023.
“The rise of digital assets has opened the door for financial opportunity, but also for bankruptcy, fraud and deceptive practices,” said Walker (D-Arlington Heights). “We must set standards for those who have evolved in the crypto business to ensure they are credible, honest actors.”
Senate Bill 1797, also known as the Digital Assets and Consumer Protection Act, would allow the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to manage guidelines that crypto companies must follow. Through Walker’s bill, IDFPR would be able to adopt rules to protect consumer assets and investments.
Under Senate Bill 1797, cryptocurrency companies would be required to register, provide disclosures and demonstrate the fitness to satisfy payouts. The bill would also require companies to notify their consumers of any charges or transfers of their digital assets, and to build programs to reduce consumer fraud.
Senate Bill 1797 passed the Senate Executive Committee on Thursday
* WAND…
State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) filed two bills as a promise for the Massey family. Her promise comes closer to being fulfilled, as those bills passed the Senate Executive committee Thursday.
Senate Bill 1953 which would require more comprehensive reviews of prospective officers to ensure physical and mental fitness, as well as expanding sheriff’s merit boards, passed unanimously out of committee. […]
Senate Bill 1954 would give County’s the option to recall an elected official outside the County board or Treasurer. Each County, if their board approves it, would have the option to add the recall law to their County in the 2026 election as a referendum. If it doesn’t receive approval or isn’t voted in by the people, the law wouldn’t be added. […]
That bill saw more of a heated discussion. State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) said this plan, while in good faith, could give too much power to certain groups.
* Sen. Celina Villanueva…
In response to predatory towing practices that take advantage of Illinois drivers, State Senator Celina Villanueva advanced legislation to strengthen enforcement against bad actors and ensure safer roads for drivers.
“For too long, predatory towing operators have taken advantage of unsuspecting drivers, leaving them with outrageous fees, missing belongings, and no recourse,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “This legislation is about restoring fairness and accountability to the system, ensuring that no one falls victim to these deceptive practices.”
Currently, the Illinois Commerce Commission issues fines to violators, but many of the worst offenders ignore penalties and continue operating under new business names. Senate Bill 2040 would strengthen enforcement by allowing the ICC to impound unregistered tow trucks, authorizing the Secretary of State to suspend license plates for unpaid fines, and requiring tow operators to register business and storage locations to prevent vehicles from being held at unlisted lots. The bill also would ban fraudulent towers from obtaining new licenses for three years and prohibit operators from placing liens on essential personal property left in a towed vehicle. […]
Senate Bill 2040 passed the Senate and heads to the House for further consideration.
Illinois Senate Democrats voiced their support Thursday for a bill that would create a program to streamline high school students’ college application processes, reducing fees and making higher education more affordable.
An initiative of Gov. JB Pritzker, the direct admission program is described as a “one-stop shop” for students that would bypass all college application fees.
Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, spoke at a news conference in the Statehouse, calling the bill “a critical step we’re taking to make higher education more accessible to students across Illinois.”
Senate Bill 2448 would allow all high school juniors and seniors and community college students to enroll in the program. The bill would allow the Illinois Board of Higher Education to send students a single notification containing all of their admission offers. And students would be able to accept an offer and enroll at the Illinois university they choose through the direct admission program.
* WAND…
A State Senate Democrat plan would add a database showing all scholarships available in higher education.
It would show all the scholarships on one website. Students starting in the seventh grade would be taught to create an account and how to access the website. Students 18 or older would also be allowed to access the site.
State Sen. Doris Turner (D-Springfield) said the idea for this bill came to her from one of her summer high school interns working in her Decatur office. […]
The bill passed out of the Senate on a 49-5 vote. It now heads to the House floor where lawmakers could talk about it in the coming weeks.
* WGLT…
Eighty-one Illinois teen drivers and passengers died in car crashes in 2023, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Tragedies like these instantly change the lives of families and friends. For one mother — it led her to push for change.
Chasity Dorathy, of Tampico in northwestern Illinois, lost her 16-year-old son DJ in a car crash accident last March. He was a passenger in a car with three other teens when one of the teens crossed a stop sign and collided with a semi-truck. The driver survived, but DJ and two other teens died soon after. […]
A petition on Change.org led her to talk to her local lawmakers and push a bill to prevent future tragedies. The bill aims to restrict drivers under 18 from driving anyone under 20 unless they are siblings or the driver’s child. If caught, a driver could face a six-month license suspension.
The current law is a driver on a graduated license can have only one passenger under 20. If violated, a driver could face a two-month suspension.
* Sen. Julie Morrison…
When drivers neglect to move over for emergency personnel and roadside incidents, they put lives at risk. Recognizing the need for improved safety measures, State Senator Julie Morrison advanced an initiative to enhance protections for those working on and assisting along our highways.
“Police officers directing traffic, highway maintenance workers clearing debris and kind bystanders who stop to lend a hand all deserve to know they are safe at the scene,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “This legislation is about better protecting those who put themselves at risk to help others.”
Morrison’s bill comes in response to an accident in which a local resident working for the Illinois Tollway was struck by a vehicle while assisting someone in an emergency situation. Under current law, a driver is required to change lanes, reduce speed and proceed with caution when approaching a stopped emergency vehicle with flashing lights. However, individuals who are not stationary — such as those assisting stalled drivers or traveling slowly in a vehicle to place traffic cones — are not covered under existing legal protections.
Senate Bill 1922 is intended to expand current law — also known as Scott’s Law — to include individuals involved at a scene of an emergency. The legislation clarifies that drivers must yield the right-of-way to emergency workers, pedestrians and authorized emergency vehicles — whether stationary or in motion — if they are actively engaged in work at the scene. […]
Senate Bill 1922 passed the Senate on Thursday.
posted by Isabel Miller
Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 9:35 am
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No no no to “AI-powered” traffic cameras.
If you’re gonna try to sell me on some “AI-powered” product understand I’m gonna look at this thing with a skepticism like you called it “magic-bean-powered.”
There are enough scams going around as it with phony texts about unpaid tolls that we don’t need AI algorithms issuing traffic tickets.
And after all the scandals the Chicago area has had with red light camera contractors this AI-powered camera legislation becomes even more suspect.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 9:47 am
Drivers have gotten so aggressive and ill tempered that I don’t care if they put a speed camera on every corner in this city.
But keep your AI, I don’t trust it.
Comment by DS Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 9:51 am
>>>>It would show all the scholarships on one website. Students starting in the seventh grade would be taught to create an account and how to access the website.
Oh please, if they need to be taught how to create an account, I’m not sure a scholarship is going to help.
>>>>“Police officers directing traffic, highway maintenance workers clearing debris and kind bystanders who stop to lend a hand all deserve to know they are safe at the scene,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest).
I don’t like Julie Morrison, it’s true, but I have a true hatred for those who can’t slow down and drive carefully for 30 seconds to safeguard the lives of the first responders and highway workers.
Go Julie Go.
Comment by We've never had one before Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 10:10 am
The problem is not simply whether AI/computer vision might reduce accidents. It probably can. But what this study excludes is an analysis of the fairness, accuracy, and broader ethical and regulatory implications of this type of surveillance technology.
It seems like none of our legislators understand AI. Based on their usage of it, I assume they think it means “Automatically Interesting”
Comment by BirdieJ Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 10:27 am
Sen. Turner’s original Recall bill (SB 1954) was very good. The Amendment adopted in Committee greatly weakens it. The binding referendum to adopt Recall now can only be put on the ballot by the co. board; original bill was by initiative petition or co. board. Also, reduces circulation period for large no. of Recall signatures required from 150 to 50 days.
Comment by Watchdog Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 10:41 am
@We’ve never had one before –
I’m not sure what’s wrong with a program to help 7th graders create accounts and access websites for college scholarships.
Do parents normally let kids set up their own online accounts for stuff when they are 12 or 13? I am skeptical.
Also there is something of a computer literacy regression that has happened that has somewhat flipped the notion of younger people being tech support for older people all the time. Gen X and millennials came into personal computer use in its infancy so have more troubleshooting skills/practical computer skills than many younger folks who just access computers through smart phones and tablets.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 10:44 am
What the heck is an “AI-driven traffic camera”?
I absolutely hate how people attack means/methods, and not the actual behavior. Everyone familiar with RealPage, the company that algorhythmically allowed landlords to collude on rental prices? The problem wasn’t the algorhythm. The problem was the collusion.
Stop attacking technology and using technology as the bogeyman. Attack the underlying issues[banned punctuation]
Comment by Homebody Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 10:53 am
And I just now realized I can’t spell “algorithm.”
Comment by Homebody Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 10:59 am
@Homebody - I don’t think I am “attacking technology” by being hostile to things that get marketed to me as “AI-powered.”
I use AI almost every day in my spell checking/grammar checking word processor but no one markets those Microsoft Word features as “AI-powered”.
The problem is the stuff that does get marketed as “AI-powered” is usually worse than the original recipe like AI making google search worse or much of the slop chatgpt puts out.
Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 11:39 am
AI Traffic Camera proposal is a straight up money grab to catch the drivers the real sponsors of the bill are sliding by today.
Straight up money grab in the city of Chicago, and don’t think for a second that the General Assembly would install them on the interstates if they could get away with it.
Comment by It's always Sunny in Illinois Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 12:21 pm
=== General Assembly would install them on the interstates===
Not the ones that lead to Springfield. lol
===Straight up money grab===
I’m really sick of crazy speeders and stop-light runners in the city. My unpopular opinion is there should be lots more of these cams.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 12:23 pm
Regarding the teen traffic safety bill, it sounds like that driver was already ignoring the existing law. I don’t understand how making a law more strict is going to solve teenagers’ ignoring the law entirely. And this bill would have outlawed my daily carpool to high school.
Comment by 51st Ward Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 12:29 pm
I review these types of AI collision safety system cameras. They can’t help on LSD. They work best on forklifts in a well-lit warehouse with no precipitation to show when a forklift approaches too closely to a human on foot. Even then, a human has to review the footage to be sure the AI was right.
I’m not sure what valuable insights this could even generate beyond “people crash more when it’s wet.”
I think current systems probably COULD do a decent job estimating speed, but what they can’t do is say whether “this car was justified in speeding up to avoid collision” or “this car was trying to get out of the way of an out-of-control truck.” You’re going to get a lot of people who go mildly over the speed limit to avoid someone ELSE’S reckless driving getting tickets in that case.
Comment by Suburban Mom Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 12:50 pm
- The problem wasn’t the algorhythm. The problem was the collusion. -
That’s not entirely correct. In many cases it wasn’t direct, intentional collusion, they were all just using the same system and it was andvising all of them to artificially raise rents.
Comment by Excitable Boy Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 1:11 pm
oh sure AI speed limit folks, take away my big fun driving on the DuSable.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 1:15 pm
Agree with Rich and DS. I’d prefer a human reviewing the video and then a ticket issued.
Comment by Jerry Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 1:23 pm
===My unpopular opinion is there should be lots more of these cams.===
My problem isn’t the cams. My problem is these citations aren’t run through the court system, where SoS and insurance companies are informed. Rather, they’re run through municipal adjudication, which isn’t reported to SoS or insurance companies. Cullerton admitted during committee hears on the original Chicago red light camera bill that as long as you paid your fines, there was no other penalty and SoS / insurance companies would be none the wiser.
Subject a person’s driver’s license to SoS suspension / revocation & increased insurance fees for camera violations, then we’ll talk.
Comment by Anyone Remember Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 1:46 pm
===these citations aren’t run through the court system===
I don’t think they can be.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 1:53 pm
England has a complex and multi layered camera system for finding speed offenders. that might be where we are headed.
Comment by Amalia Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 2:08 pm
Won’t the bill restricting how many teens can be in a car actually add to the number of teen drivers on the road?
Lots of people look young. Can police arbitrarily pull over someone if they look young and have multiple people in the car?
Or can the police stop a car full of people and say, “Yes, I found XYZ in the car, but it wasn’t an illegal stop. I thought they were all under 20?”
Comment by Frida's Boss Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 2:53 pm
I’m all in on automated enforcement on LSD. If people don’t think that would be an effective or appropriate way to address the rampant reckless driving that anyone who ever drives on it experiences immediately, I’d like to hear what people think would be.
Comment by sim1 Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 3:20 pm
Citations for 6 mph over the speed limit?
That’s not deterring crazy driving, that is raising revenue.
6 or even 10 mph over aren’t the problem here, even in an urban area. Not buying it.
Comment by Occasionally Moderated Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 4:39 pm
===That’s not deterring crazy driving===
The heck it ain’t.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 4:44 pm
Also, driving 36-40 mph down a narrow residential Chicago street is crazy driving. Full stop. Anyone who suggests otherwise is insane.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Apr 4, 25 @ 4:53 pm