The city added 50 cameras and tickets jumped almost 26%, but the additional revenue fell short of the city’s projection. | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune
By Lilly Rossi | Illinois Policy Institute
Despite campaigning against them in 2023, Mayor Brandon Johnson added 50 speed cameras in Chicago last year.
That led to a nearly 26% increase in tickets but still didn’t generate as much additional revenue as the city estimated, highlighting the problem with relying on unpredictable sources to balance the budget.
Last year Chicago issued 529,529 tickets to drivers for traveling 6 to 10 mph over the speed limit, up from 424,754 in 2024. That’s an increase of 24.6%.
Tickets for those driving at least 11 mph over the limit increased even faster, rising 30% from 94,906 in 2024 to 123,786 in 2025.
Chicago speed camera revenue rose last year to $64.2 million, up from $59.6 million in 2024. But the rise was significantly less than the Johnson administration’s projected increase of $11.4 million (and an installation cost of about $2.6 million.)
Report continues here.