NYC to quadruple intersections with red light cameras by end of year, officials say

New York City transportation officials announced plans Wednesday to significantly expand the number of red light cameras that automatically ticket reckless drivers.

The city currently has the cameras in place at 150 intersections, but plans to quadruple that figure by the end of the year. Transportation department officials said they’ll add them to 50 new intersections a week for the next five weeks — and eventually reach 600 intersections over the following 10 months.

The city’s red light camera program dates back to the 1990s, when New York was among the first cities in the country to invest in technology that photographs cars that run red lights and issues tickets to car owners. But the original law limited the program to 222 cameras at 150 intersections, which has stayed the same since 2009, according to the transportation department.

Following pressure from former Mayor Eric Adams, state lawmakers in 2024 passed a law allowing the cameras to be installed at 600 intersections. City officials didn’t install any last year while Adams was still in office. Transportation department officials said the agency spent that time awarding a contract and building out the technology.

Now, the city’s new Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn said they’re ready to deploy.

“Red light running is one of the most dangerous behaviors on our city’s streets and puts all New Yorkers at risk. That is why we are taking immediate action to ramp up the city’s red light camera program,” Flynn wrote in a statement. “These cameras have reduced red light running 73% in the intersections where they are installed, and we will pair this heightened enforcement with ambitious street redesigns to make our streets safer.”

Transportation department spokesperson Vin Barone declined to disclose where the new cameras would be installed, saying the program is more effective when their locations are kept a secret. He said the technology will target areas with high rates of crashes.

Drivers are issued a $50 ticket if a camera catches their car running a red light. City data shows that the program raked in $20 million in net revenue in 2024.

According to DOT data, intersections with the red light cameras have reduced T-bone crashes by 65% and rear-end collisions by 49%. Officials said the cameras help crack down on the city's most dangerous drivers.