Cameras on Traffic Lights-- Is it Big Brother? Or Something Entirely Different!

I had a great question from a loyal reader Caroline M who asked me about the cameras in the traffic lights at Amarias and Cedar Lake just north of 60. Its not a system that we control but it’s part of Lake County Department of Transportation relatively new transportation management system called Passage—Intelligent Transportation System.

It allows managers at the HQ in Libertyville to monitor traffic throughout the county. All new intersections will have cameras installed on them, and I think there are numerous retrofits going on of other intersections as well. They also use telemetry installed in the roads and other cameras to determine road conditions and adjust timings of lights.

They have a marvelous website here that has real time traffic information for Lake County, I have been using the site for awhile, and am embarrassed that I have not blogged about it before becuase for awhile I was able to decide to drive the "back roads" or Route 12, when Fairfield and Gilmer were blocked!