Yes, there will be speed cameras in Orland Park in the near future.
However, there will be no speeding fines issued in the foreseeable future. Illinois law only allows cities of 1 million people or more to issue fines based on speed cameras.
Village attorney Michael Stillman said at the Oct. 19 board of trustees meeting that Schaumburg has been running a pilot camera system since 2024 and that community is not allowed to issue fines.
Orland Park is also getting on board as the board of trustees voted 6-1 to buy and install speed cameras at a cost of $450,000 from Itasca-based Dacra Adjudication Systems LLC. Two will be located on LaGrange Road near Sandburg High School and two on 151st Street near Jerling Junior High.
The village will be able to send warnings to those caught speeding, but no fines will be issued at this time.
Trustee John Lawler said despite the lack of fines, it’s a worthwhile investment.
“People say that we’re just giving out warnings and why spend the money on it?’’ Lawler said. “That may be the case, but I also think it’s important for the amount of data we are going to pull when it comes to people driving down LaGrange Road. We’ll be able to see the speed and how fast they are going and how many people are going over the limit.
“We can use that data, so it’s not like we’re going to get anything out of it. We have to do something. (Speeding) is the No. 1 complaint I hear in this town.”
Trustee Cindy Nelson-Katsenes cast the lone “no” vote.
“The type of people who consistently speed…I don’t know if it’s going to stop them because of a camera when they know all they are getting is warnings,” she said. “I’m in favor of waiting until the law is very clear instead of it being a beta test.
“But I do agree with Trustee Lawler. Something has to happen.”
Mayor James Dodge hopes that the state will change its law on fines but until then, he finds the cameras worthwhile.
“It’s an imperfect solution to a persistent problem,” Dodge said. “Let’s go get the information and get the technology out there. Let’s do the communications and let’s try to get more clarity or more flexibility from the state legislature.”
He also has some plans to try to curb neighborhood speeders.
“One of the things we are working on for the local neighborhoods is to have displays where we capture information to say ‘do we or do we not have a problem on this particular street at this particular time?’’’ Dodge said. “That’s a work in progress to help us do targeted enforcement in the neighborhoods so our police officers know exactly where to go.”
