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The red-light cameras at Route 83 and 22nd Street will continue to operate, at least until Dec. 12, after a DuPage County judge on Monday continued the case of an Oakbrook Terrace lawsuit filed in June.

After being ordered by the Illinois Department of Transportation in May to deactivate, and then remove, the cameras, Oakbrook Terrace filed a June 1 lawsuit, claiming that IDOT overstepped its authority with that directive.

Oakbrook Terrace claimed it was issued a needed permit by IDOT for the installation of the red-light cameras, but that once the system was installed, IDOT has no authority to regulate operation.

Judge Craig Belford issued an Aug. 22 order, allowing Oakbrook Terrace to reactivate the red-light cameras, just outside of Oakbrook Center. A final disposition was scheduled for Monday, but won’t be made at least until Dec. 12, after the case was continued.

In August, Belford denied an IDOT motion to dismiss Oakbrook Terrace’s motion to Stay the IDOT decision, allowing Oakbrook Terrace to activate the red-light cameras again.

The August court states that the issuance of a stay will not endanger the public, is not contrary to public policy and that there exists a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits.

Specifically, Belford’s original order stated that Oakbrook Terrace is “authorized to reactivate the automated traffic law enforcement systems located at the intersection of Illinois Route 83 and, 22nd, Street in the City of Oakbrook Terrace and to reinstate all associated equipment and signs as they existed prior to the issuance of the Notice of Revocation, pending the final disposition of the case. The Illinois Department of Transportation shall work in good faith with the City of Oakbrook Terrace to effectuate such reactivation.”

The cameras, which became operational in August 2017, had been in use for southbound traffic on Route 83 and eastbound traffic on 22nd Street and generated more than $12 million in revenue for Oakbrook Terrace in just under five years via fines for violations.

Maria Castaneda, an IDOT public information officer, said in May that the permit issued to Oakbrook Terrace to operate the red-light cameras was revoked due to failure to comply by the city.

“Despite repeated requests, the city did not submit the post-installation analysis on the effectiveness of the camera system to improve safety at the intersection, as required by IDOT policy,” Castaneda said.

She said existing IDOT policy was developed to assist local agencies to obtain a permit to install red-light cameras on roads under state jurisdiction. The policy also allows IDOT to remove such cameras if it is in the best interest of the motoring public, Castaneda said.

In June 2017, Oak Brook filed a lawsuit to have the cameras removed against IDOT, then Oakbrook Terrace Mayor Tony Ragucci and each of the city’s six aldermen at the time, and Nikki Zollar, president and chief executive officer of SafeSpeed, LLC, the company hired by Oakbrook Terrace to install the cameras. Oak Brook dropped the suit, with no real explanation of why, about six months later.

The Oak Brook Village Board was considering taking legal action again this year, but didn’t pursue that after IDOT ordered the cameras be deactivated and removed.

Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.