State of Illinois
92nd General Assembly
Legislation

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92_HB0123

 
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 1        AN ACT to amend the Illinois  Vehicle  Code  by  changing
 2    Section 11-1201.1.

 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section 5.  The  Illinois  Vehicle  Code  is  amended  by
 6    changing Section 11-1201.1 as follows:

 7        (625 ILCS 5/11-1201.1)
 8        Sec.  11-1201.1.  Automated Railroad Crossing Enforcement
 9    System.
10        (a)  For the  purposes  of  this  Section,  an  automated
11    railroad  grade  crossing  enforcement  system  is  a  system
12    operated  by a law enforcement agency that records a driver's
13    response  to  automatic,  electrical  or  mechanical   signal
14    devices  and crossing gates.  The system shall be designed to
15    obtain a clear photograph or  other  recorded  image  of  the
16    vehicle,  vehicle operator and the vehicle registration plate
17    of a vehicle in violation of Section 11-1201.  The photograph
18    or other recorded image shall also display the time, date and
19    location of the violation.
20        (b)  Commencing on January 1, 1996, the Illinois Commerce
21    Commission and  the  Commuter  Rail  Board  of  the  Regional
22    Transportation Authority shall, in cooperation with local law
23    enforcement  agencies,  establish  a  two  year pilot program
24    within a county with a  population  of  between  750,000  and
25    1,000,000   using   an   automated  railroad  grade  crossing
26    enforcement system.  The Commission  shall  determine  the  3
27    railroad  grade  crossings  within  that county that pose the
28    greatest threat to  human  life  based  upon  the  number  of
29    accidents  and  fatalities at the crossings during the past 5
30    years and with approval of the local law  enforcement  agency
31    equip the crossings with an automated railroad grade crossing
 
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 1    enforcement system.
 2        (b-1)  Commencing   on   the   effective   date  of  this
 3    amendatory Act of the 92nd  General  Assembly,  the  Illinois
 4    Commerce  Commission  and  the  Commuter  Rail  Board may, in
 5    cooperation with the local law enforcement agency,  establish
 6    in  a  county  with  a  population  of  between  750,000  and
 7    1,000,000  a 2 year pilot program using an automated railroad
 8    grade crossing enforcement system. This pilot program may  be
 9    established  at a railroad grade crossing designated by local
10    authorities. No State moneys may be expended on the automated
11    railroad grade crossing enforcement system established  under
12    this pilot program.
13        (c)  For each violation of Section 11-1201 recorded by an
14    automatic  railroad  grade  crossing  system,  the  local law
15    enforcement agency having jurisdiction shall issue a  written
16    Uniform  Traffic  Citation of the violation to the registered
17    owner of the vehicle.  The Uniform Traffic Citation shall  be
18    delivered to the registered owner, by mail, within 30 days of
19    the  violation.   The  Uniform Traffic Citation shall include
20    the  name  and  address  of  vehicle   owner,   the   vehicle
21    registration number, the offense charged, the time, date, and
22    location of the violation, the first available court date and
23    that  the  basis  of  the citation is the photograph or other
24    recorded image from the  automated  railroad  grade  crossing
25    enforcement system.
26        (d)  The  Uniform Traffic Citation issued to the violator
27    shall be accompanied by a written document which explains the
28    violator's rights and obligations and how  the  violator  can
29    elect to proceed by either paying the fine or challenging the
30    issuance of the Uniform Traffic Citation.
31        (e)  Any  photograph or other recorded image evidencing a
32    violation of Section  11-1201  shall  be  admissible  in  any
33    proceeding resulting from the issuance of the Uniform Traffic
34    Citation.    Photographs   or  recorded  images  made  by  an
 
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 1    automatic railroad grade crossing enforcement system shall be
 2    confidential,  and  shall  be  made  available  only  to  the
 3    defendant, governmental and law enforcement agencies for  the
 4    purposes  of  adjudicating  a violation of Section 11-1201 of
 5    the Illinois Vehicle Code.
 6        (f)  Rail crossings equipped with an  automatic  railroad
 7    grade crossing enforcement system shall be posted with a sign
 8    visible  to  approaching  traffic  stating  that the railroad
 9    grade crossing is being monitored,  that  citations  will  be
10    issued, and the amount of the fine for violation.
11        (g)  Except  as provided in subsection (b-1), the cost of
12    the installation and maintenance of each  automatic  railroad
13    grade  crossing  enforcement  system  shall  be paid from the
14    Grade Crossing Protection Fund if the rail line is not  owned
15    by   Commuter  Rail  Board  of  the  Regional  Transportation
16    Authority.  Except as provided in subsection  (b-1),  if  the
17    rail line is owned by the Commuter Rail Board of the Regional
18    Transportation  Authority,  the costs of the installation and
19    maintenance shall be paid from  the  Regional  Transportation
20    Authority's portion of the Public Transportation Fund.
21        (h)  The  Illinois  Commerce  Commission  shall  issue  a
22    report  to  the General Assembly at the conclusion of the two
23    year pilot program established under subsection  (b)  on  the
24    effectiveness   of  the  automatic  railroad  grade  crossing
25    enforcement system.
26    (Source: P.A. 89-454, eff. 5-17-96; 90-14, eff. 7-1-97.)

27        Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
28    becoming law.

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