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92nd General Assembly

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Public Act 92-0098

HB0123 Enrolled                                LRB9201036DHmb

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

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

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

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

    Section 99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect  upon
becoming law.
    Passed in the General Assembly May 02, 2001.
    Approved July 20, 2001.

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