Chicago Traffic Cameras Issue Most Tickets to Black and Latino Drivers

The city's controversial traffic camera program tickets Black and Latino motorists more than white drivers. Infrastructure may play a role in why.

2 minute read

February 2, 2022, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Chicago Transit Authority

Sam Wagner / Shutterstock

An investigation from ProPublica's Emily Hopkins and Melissa Sanchez reveals that Chicago's purportedly neutral traffic enforcement cameras issued citations to households in majority Black and Latino ZIP codes at a rate twice as high as in white neighborhoods. In 2020, when Black and Latino workers were more likely to keep going to work while many white workers worked from home, the ticketing rate in Black neighborhoods jumped to three times that of white areas. The traffic camera program monitors almost 300 locations distributed "roughly evenly" in the city's different neighborhoods. "The consequences have been especially punishing in Black neighborhoods, which have been hit with more than half a billion dollars in penalties over the last 15 years, contributing to thousands of vehicle impoundments, driver’s license suspensions and bankruptcies, according to ProPublica’s analysis."

Traffic camera programs in other cities, such as Rochester, Miami, and Washington, D.C., have shown similar disparities in ticketing, calling into question the supposed fairness of the devices, which have been touted by some supporters as a "race-neutral" way to reduce potentially violent police interactions. Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot's policy chief, Dan Lurie, has said "the administration has been grappling with the 'twin challenges' of improving traffic safety while 'very intentionally ensuring that the burdens of fines and fees as a result of those kinds of efforts do not fall disproportionately on Black and brown residents.'" Lurie acknowledged the need to improve road infrastructure as part of the effort to reduce traffic fatalities and protect pedestrians.

While research shows traffic cameras can have a positive impact on driving behaviors, some critics call them a cash grab that disproportionately harms low-income residents. Instead, experts point to other traffic calming measures, such as medians and speed bumps, that can slow drivers.

The article details other factors that affect driver speeds and pedestrian safety, such as road width, residential density, and proximity to expressways—roads disproportionately built through historically Black neighborhoods.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022 in ProPublica

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

6 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive