Evanston, Illinois Speed Traps

The stretch of Sheridan Rd that runs past the main NU University buildings and dorms is frequently radar patrolled by both Evanston and Northwestern University police.

Do not blow past the black NU Police cars thinking they’re glorified security guards like those you see at Loyola. They are a fully empowered, full service police department that can (and WILL) pull you over for moving violations in and around the university campus and have the same powers as regular Evanston police (including arrest powers).

They frequently sit in the Garrett Seminary lot and use a radar gun on both North and Southbound traffic.

Very bad speed trap set up by Evanston police just across the Evanston city line on N Sheridan Road. Speed limit on this stretch (starting at the intersection of Sheridan and Juneway Terrace) is ridiculously low (20 or 25 MPH) considering there is nothing but empty lakefront on the east side and Calvary Cemetery on the west side.

The trap is set up in one of three ways. A squad car either sits in a turnaround spot in the center median (this is to catch traffic coming from the north since they cannot see the police car around the bend in the road) or hidden in an alley the divides the northern part of the cemetery and an apartment building.

The third set up occurs mostly in the spring and summer when a motorcycle officer hides amongst the cars parked cars on Sheridan Square on the right hand side where Sheridan Rd bends westward and uses instant-on radar to trap cars. As a former NU commuter student, I’ve seen multiple cars nabbed by the motorcycle cops.

Police parked in Haven School Parking lot, checking speed on Green Bay Road.

City of Evanston police in unmarked white Crown Victoria will hide in a line of parked taxi cabs along Central St. east of Crawford Ave. Speed limit is 30, but easy to be going faster if not careful, especially heading downhill on eastbound Central St.

They park between two parked cars with unmarked vehicles. They clock both West and East bound.