The city will more than double the number of red-light cameras in the five boroughs in the next five weeks, newly minted Transportation commissioner Mike Flynn announced Friday.
“Red light running is one of the most dangerous behaviors on our city’s streets and puts all New Yorkers at risk,” Flynn said in a statement. “That is why we are taking immediate action to ramp up the city’s red light camera program.”
In the next five weeks, the Department of Transportation aims to add cameras to 50 intersections a week, so that 250 additional cameras will be in service by Friday, Feb. 13.
There are currently cameras at 150 of the roughly 13,700 intersections with traffic signals citywide, automatically issuing tickets to the registered owner of any vehicle that runs a red.
Up until 2024, that was the maximum number of intersections allowed by state law. That number was increased to 600 in October 2024.
A DOT spokesperson said in a statement Friday that the city is aiming to have the 600 intersections monitored by red-light cameras by the end of 2026.
It wasn’t immediately clear Friday where the new cameras would be added. A DOT spokesperson said locations with a history of collisions would be prioritized.
DOT data show an average drop in red-light running by 73% at intersections monitored by cameras. In a 2023 study, the city found that 94 percent of vehicles caught running a red light by an automated camera received no more than one or two violations — indicating that drivers learned to modify their behavior.
